


Life Is Rather Pleasant, Actually

by EHC



Series: Life Is Pleasant In Stardew Valley [2]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 13:20:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 50,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22296604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EHC/pseuds/EHC
Summary: Picking up right where thesummary for this AU idea left off, join Victoria Chase as she does everything she can to tame the land, become a farmer, and be very, very gay in the process.
Relationships: Victoria Chase/Everyone
Series: Life Is Pleasant In Stardew Valley [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604938
Comments: 222
Kudos: 83





	1. The Newcomer, Victoria

**Author's Note:**

> I dedicate this story to [redbird691](https://archiveofourown.org/users/redbird691/pseuds/redbird691), [Auburnt_Vixen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auburnt_Vixen/pseuds/Auburnt_Vixen), [Facedash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facedash/pseuds/Facedash), Fenn, [TheCortex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCortex/pseuds/TheCortex), [danbuter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danbuter/pseuds/danbuter), [MininSnow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MininSnow/pseuds/MininSnow), stretch802, and nelben, who, both on Tumblr and here, expressed interest in seeing more of this AU. You all inspired me to try my hand at this AU and I thank you very much for it!

"Victoria, dear, are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yes, mom," Victoria replied with a roll of her eyes. "My answer hasn't changed since the last twenty times you've asked, or the last thirty that dad did."

"Well, can you blame us? We're just concerned. This is just such a drastic change, especially for a long-term strategic planner such as yourself."

"Trust me, I am well aware of how this looks to everyone." Victoria sighed as she switched her cell phone to her left ear. "But, unlike most, I also know me, and the path that I was on was not leading to anywhere good."

There was a long moment of silence before her mother spoke again.

"Dear, are you in trouble?"

"No," Victoria said with a slight shake of her head, even though her mother couldn't see it. "No drugs, no alcohol, nothing like that. Promise. It's just..." She sighed again. "I could've been. I had a bad moment, mom. And finding Grandpa's letter pulled me from it. That's when I realized I had to get away from that life, before that bad moment could become a bad day, month, year, and life."

"I wish you had spoken to us about this before, then. We could've helped, found you some help. A therapist, perhaps. A discreet one."

"Believe it or not, I considered it. But I came to the conclusion that, even if seeing someone would help in the short-term, it'd just be putting a band-aid on a much deeper wound. I'm thinking, three months of therapy before things plateaued, another year on anti-depressants before that stopped being effective, another six months on a stronger drug that likely would have negative side effects, forcing me to drop it completely just to maintain my professional appearance, before finally switching to anything that might help, legal or otherwise. After that, I calculated two and a half years, three tops, before something finally gave out."

There was another pause, though this one wasn't as uncomfortable.

"You were always quite the planner."

Victoria smiled at her mom's amused resignation. "Yeah, that's me. I saw the signs, saw where things would likely lead, then got out. Though I am sorry your youngest child isn't cut out for the corporate world."

"Now don't you go talking like that. Your father and I love you all the same and all we want is for you to be happy. Maybe we don't quite understand how working the soil can do that for you, but, constant questions aside, we do believe in you."

"Thanks, mom."

"You just let us know if we can help you out financially. Heaven knows we have no idea about rural life. Should we send you a tractor or something?"

Victoria laughed at the mental image of an Amazon drone struggling to deliver said piece of equipment. "No, I'm fine. I have a rather comfortable checking account I can access here and that's not even counting my savings. But if things start looking grim, I'll let you know."

"Promise?"

"Promise. No prodigal daughter stories from me. But don't worry. I may have traded my white collar for a blue one, but I'm still a Chase. I'll whip this farm into shape and get it profitable in no time."

"I know you will, dear. Well, I'd best leave you to it. Be safe!"

"I will. Love to you and dad."

Victoria ended the call and set the phone down on her kitchen counter with a satisfied smile. She knew that not explaining all of her reasoning before she left home would result in a lot of confusion, but if she had told them in person exactly what happened, her parents would simply pressure her to seek professional help, though only out of misguided concern and not out of any sense of malice. They both wanted all their children to be successful; they just couldn't see that happening outside of their world.

At least now, mom understood and would tell dad, and likely in a way he'd understand. Her siblings weren't really a concern. Not that she had a bad relationship with any of them, just that she knew they wouldn't get it, either. She'd probably be getting a call from Victor in about a week or so, though, as was tradition.

Now that she was finished speaking to her mom, Victoria tapped the memo app and ran through her to-do list. The interior of the house was already clean, so no worries there. It was also furnished, though somewhat sparsely, but she could deal with that. New clothes were put away (she'd invested in plenty of comfortable and sturdy clothing, such as jeans, t-shirts, and flannel before moving here) as well as toiletries. Laptop was still in its bag, not needed for now. Car was parked in the old barn and out of the way. She had some pots, pans, and dishes but needed more utensils. And food, of course. She had just enough to get by tonight but come tomorrow, she'd need to do some shopping. There were a few non-food items she needed to pick up, anyway, and it'd be good to see what the general store had in stock compared to what she'd have to get from the nearby JojaMart.

For now, though, it was time to get cracking. Not on farming, exactly. That would come tomorrow. No, first, she had some serious reading to do. And so, curled up in her chair (surprisingly comfortable despite its age), cup of coffee nearby, and the TV on low for background noise, Victoria grabbed her copies of _Farming For Dummies_ and _The Idiot's Guide to Friendly Conversation_ and got studying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am honestly surprised at how much I enjoyed writing this idea out a bit more. I thought to myself that I'd do one scene and see where it took me and now, I have about 5 chapters under my belt. I'll be posting the others slowly but surely.
> 
> This is going to be a slice-of-life type story with no real overarching plot. In fact, it might be considered nearly plot-free, so I do apologize if that's not your cup of tea. Similar to the Stardew Valley game, there isn't going to be some nefarious villain here, nor weird drama later down the line, and no deaths. I want this story to be easy going, relaxing, and carefree, with the only real "trouble" being Victoria figuring out who she wants to date.
> 
> This story is also going to follow the general flow of the Stardew Valley game itself, though I promise not to inundate you with the minutia of actual farming. There will be a lot of hand-waving in the chapters to come as I'm going to focus more on character interactions and conversations rather than gameplay elements.
> 
> I'm also going to have some fun playing around with each girl's background and whatnot. While this might mean some will seem OOC, I'm hoping to keep them recognizable. Only time will tell if I'm successful.


	2. Pierre's Daughter, Juliet

"Two sets of gloves, ointment, aspirin, blister cream, wheelbarrow, wash rags, bandana, sponge, dish soap, silverware, and a spatula." Pierre looked up from the counter where Victoria's future purchases lay and gave her a friendly smile. "Will that be all for you today?"

"Yes, sir," Victoria answered politely. "I'll have to come back to get some groceries later since I need eggs and don't want to risk them bouncing and breaking in the wheelbarrow."

"You can call me 'Pierre,' everyone does. And if that's all that's stopping you, then please wait here just a moment."

"Okay?" Victoria watched as the storekeeper turned from the counter and opened a door behind him. She could see a set of stairs leading to the second floor.

"Juliet? Can you come down here, please?"

"Be right there!"

A moment later, there was some clamoring and a girl (19 or 20, brunette, hair in a low, off-center bun, quirky smile, beautiful green eyes) stepped through the doorway. "Whatcha need?"

Pierre motioned to Victoria. "This young lady needs some help taking her purchases home. She purchased a wheelbarrow that can hold most everything but she'll need help with some fragile items. Would you be so kind as to carry them for her?"

Victoria blinked. "No, it's--"

"Sure! Be glad to." Juliet stepped forward and stuck her hand out to Victoria. "I'm Juliet, as you've just heard. Pleased to meet you."

"Victoria," was Victoria's tepid response as she shook hands. "And likewise."

Juliet grinned. "Not used to the friendliness, I see. But, no worries. You'll get used to it." She motioned to the store. "So, what groceries are you needing?"

"Perishables, mostly," Victoria replied after a moment. "Eggs, 2% milk, wheat bread, butter. Strawberry jam if you have it, grape if you don't. I'm looking for breakfast foods, really."

"Got it." And to Victoria's surprise, Juliet walked right to the refrigerated section and started grabbing said items. "Are you more a bacon girl or sausage girl?"

"Um." It took Victoria a second to recover. "More of an avocado girl, actually."

Juliet turned to her, still smiling. "Not exactly in season around here, and we don't tend to carry avocados, anyway. But, we do have a brand of turkey bacon if you wanted something a bit healthier."

"Sold," Victoria said with a mental shrug. 

"Perfect." Juliet brought everything over to the counter and set them down. "Coffee? Tea? Me?"

Victoria blinked. "Excuse me?"

Pierre narrowed his gaze at his daughter. "Juliet."

"Sorry!" Juliet apologized to Victoria with a grin. "Just trying to get a feel for your sense of humor. But, seriously, if you're looking for breakfast appropriate drinks, we do have some coffee, a couple kinds of teas, and some hot cocoa if that's more your style."

"Ah. I'm actually stocked up on coffee but if you have some chamomile, I'll take a box."

"Gotcha." Juliet walked down another aisle and grabbed the box of tea in question. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you. I'll worry about dinner closer to that time."

"Just to let you know," Pierre began as he started ringing up the rest of Victoria's purchases, "we do close at 5 PM every day and we're closed all day on Wednesdays. But if you're looking for a meal later this evening and don't feel like cooking, the Stardrop Saloon also serves lunch and dinner items. It's a rotating menu, though."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Cash or charge?"

* * *

A couple of minutes later found Victoria was pushing her wheelbarrow back to the Chase Farm, Juliet at her side. The younger girl was definitely a talker and incredibly curious about, well, everything, but Victoria in particular, being the most recent addition to the Valley. Victoria thought she'd be irritated by the girl's presence but actually found her constant questions refreshing.

"You seriously took over Papa Chase's farm without knowing anything about farming?" Juliet asked, handing Victoria groceries as the taller girl put them away.

"Yes. And what do you mean, 'Papa Chase?'"

"Oh!" Juliet turned a bit red and shuffled in place. "I'm sorry, that just slipped out. I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't," Victoria said as she closed her refrigerator then opened a cabinet. "Trust me, you'd know if I was offended by something you'd said. I'm just curious why you refer to Grandpa like that."

Juliet started handing Victoria the non-perishables. "That's what all of us kids called him when he was still living here. I think he said that 'Mr. Chase' just sounded too formal to him and too unfriendly."

"That sounds about right." It was something Victoria never quite understood about Grandpa, the way he'd greet complete strangers with a smile, talking to them like they were old friends. Maybe that came from living in this Valley?

"If it's okay to say, I'm sorry for your loss."

Victoria took the box of chamomile from Juliet. "Thank you. It's been several years since he passed but it's nice to know he had such a positive impact on everyone here."

"Yeah, he really did. You're doing great, by the way."

"Hmm?" was Victoria's reply as she put the last of her groceries away.

Juliet motioned to the two books stacked on the small end table near her chair. "I saw the books. Considering the title, I figured wherever you're from, you didn't have much practice talking to everyday people. So, I just wanted you to know, you're doing great."

Victoria wasn't quite sure what to make of that. On one hand, it really wasn't any of this girl's business. But on the other, the books weren't hidden away or anything. And honestly, it was nice to hear her efforts were paying off. "Thanks," she said. "You have a good eye for details. I can appreciate that."

Juliet laughed. "I definitely try, but there's no one here with sharper eyes than Max."

"Who's that?"

"Max Caulfield. Resident photographer, lives south of your farm near the river. Absolutely no detail escapes her notice, though just a heads up: she's pathologically shy. Like, she may even have a complex or condition or something, though no one knows for sure. She mostly keeps to herself but you might see her hovering in the background from time to time, camera in hand."

Before Victoria could ask more questions about Max, or anyone else for that matter, Juliet's phone let out a loud double-beep. The girl in question fished her phone out of her jacket and tapped the incoming message. "Crap. That's dad. Turns out someone else needs help with a delivery." She typed out a quick message and slid the phone back into her pocket. "I gotta jet but it was really nice talking to you."

"Likewise." Victoria walked Juliet to the front door and opened the screen door. "I'll see you around."

"Bye!"

As Juliet walked away, Victoria found her gaze trailing down slightly, appreciating how the other girls skirt rippled and flowed as she moved, before she shook her head. She hadn't really had a chance to date or anything back in Seattle, always too busy, but perhaps here...

She snorted at the ridiculousness of her thoughts. This was a tight-knit community, after all, and pretty out of the way. The chances of meeting another gay girl here was astronomically small, never mind Juliet's earlier joke. Not to mention she had a lot to do. No time for romance at the moment. And so, Victoria walked back to her kitchen to whip up something for breakfast. She was no chef but even she could handle buttered toast and jam. She'd work out eggs later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, how much it pained me to take Abigail away! She's my absolute fave in Stardew Valley and I love her to bits. Sadly, most, if not all, of the bachelors and bachelorettes in the game won't be present as the focus is going to be on Life Is Strange characters instead.
> 
> The more eagle-eyed among you might be questioning the presence of a wheelbarrow. Well, I can only stretch the limits of believability so much and having an invisible backpack that can carry approximately a million metric tons of stuff is just too much. So, while on the farm, Victoria's going to need a wheelbarrow and I figure a general store should carry that, so in this story, it does.
> 
> Papa Chase came to me as I was typing out Juliet and Victoria's conversation and I think it fits. The idea I had is Victoria's grandfather lived in Pelican Town for quite a long time before age and his failing health forced him to move back home, where he was cared for until he finally passed. He'll come up from time to time, always remembered fondly by the townsfolk. But, as unnecessary drama is **not** the name of the game, there isn't going to be any resentment from Victoria trying to get out from his shadow or anything like that.
> 
> More cast changes when compared to Stardew Valley will become apparent as time goes on. Hopefully, you'll be able to understand why I did so in the chapters to come.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. The Saloon Owner, Stella

Victoria closed the barn door, having stowed away her tools and wheelbarrow, and sighed in relief. Day one of land clearing, complete. And holy shit, was it hard work! She was in shape, she knew, and back in Seattle, always worked out at the gym to stay that way, but damn, this was something else! All the raking, digging, and clearing was using different muscle groups that she was used to, not to mention all the lifting when it came to moving those rocks.

And speaking of which, where the hell did all of those rocks come from? The various tree limbs and whatnot she could understand (she'd have to do some serious work to clear out some of fallen logs and dead trees around the place) but outside of impossible notion that the rocks grew like weeds when no one was looking, there was seriously no explanation for their presence.

Whatever. The point was she was clearing the land and, though it was tough, and at first glance a nearly impossible task, she was making progress. The ever-growing piles of rocks and branches on one side of her farm was a testament of that.

Victoria was dusting herself off before entering her house when her brain caught up with her thoughts and she froze. Her farm? She blinked, then stepped just inside her doorway and started unlacing her boots. It really was her farm, wasn't it? Her name on the deed, her name on the imaginary signpost near the entrance of the area itself (she'd add one later). But yeah, it was hers. All hers. For good or ill. This was just the first time it ever actually registered that it absolutely was hers.

Setting her boots to one side, she closed and locked the front door. Not wanting to trail dirt and grime all over the floors, she stripped down to her underwear and placed her used clothing in a pile near her boots. She walked to her bedroom, grabbed her hamper, went back to the door, and carefully put her clothes inside. After a moment, she mentally shrugged and removed her underwear as well, putting them on top. Not like she had company and besides, all the windows were covered.

A couple of minutes later and Victoria was luxuriating under a stream of hot water. Her home had one of those old fashioned, cast iron, free standing tubs but had been modified to include a shower head, meaning she wasn't forced to always take baths, a definite plus. She loved a good long soak as much as the next girl but showers were so much faster. She took her time now, though, letting the hot water ease the soreness from her shoulders and neck before finally scrubbing herself clean.

After toweling herself dry and wrapping herself in a robe, she considered what to do next. She hadn't had a chance to really channel surf yet, and was curious what sort of TV stations she'd pick up here. She could continue reading her books, picking up more tips and tricks for both farming and not behaving like a colossal cunt to strangers. Maybe see if she had any new e-mails. Or--

Her stomach chose that moment to growl loud enough to actually make her turn red in embarrassment.

Or, she could do something about food.

She probably shouldn't be surprised at her appetite. She had done a lot of physical work today, after all. In fact, she surprised herself at lunch by making herself a large plate of turkey bacon (directions were on the back and were easy to follow) and scrambled eggs (infinitely easier than over-easy since, hey, the eggs started broken). Totally not her normal fare but she had blasted right through her simple breakfast of toast and coffee in no time flat and had been ravenous. She might have to consider a more substantial breakfast tomorrow.

For now, though, she opted to get dressed. Nothing too fancy but definitely a step up from her working attire: underwear, brown skirt, cream colored blouse, socks, comfy shoes. It felt a bit weird to wear her skirt without leggings or hose but at the moment, she didn't feel like messing with either. A light touch of makeup and the inclusion of her pearl stud earrings and she was done. She grabbed her purse, made certain her cell phone and wallet were safely inside, then exited her house, locking the door behind her.

Pierre had mentioned something about the Stardrop Saloon serving food, so that was her next destination. She could only hope that whatever was on the menu would be palatable and not cost her an arm and a leg.

* * *

When Victoria entered the saloon, she was pleasantly surprised. It was heavy on the wood but wasn't inundated with the old west vibe she had been anticipating (though the cow skull on one wall showed it wasn't completely missing). Artificial lanterns were hung everywhere, providing ample light while a jukebox off to one side played a jaunty tune, giving the entire establishment a welcoming feel.

There were a few people already present: a middle-aged woman seated at one end of the bar, enjoying a tall beer; Mayor Lewis, who gave her a friendly wave, was seated at a table, enjoying a meal; and Robin, who she had met when she first moved in, was dancing with presumably her husband, though Victoria hadn't met him properly yet.

As Victoria approached the bar, a girl (low- to mid-twenties, mixed race, cute face, dark brown hair, blue eyes) entered the room from a set of double-doors in the back, a large serving tray balanced on one shoulder and hand. She tossed Victoria a friendly smile before approaching dancing couple. "Hope you two worked up an appetite!"

"Ah, thank you," Robin replied, as she and her husband ceased dancing and approached the table where the girl was off-loading their meal. "Smells wonderful, as always."

"Thank you," the girl replied, stepping back as the pair retook their seats. "Anything else for either of you?"

"I'm good but Demetrius would like a refill," Robin said, nodding towards the empty water glass on the table.

"Got it. Be right back." The girl took the glass in question and walked behind the bar, then smiled at her newest customer. "Welcome to the Stardrop Saloon, Victoria! I'm Stella," she said, sticking her hand out.

Victoria took the hand and gave it a friendly shake. "Nice to meet you, Stella. I take it you got my name through the grape vine?"

"Yup! Word travels fast in such a small town," she said, refilling Demetrius' glass with ice and water. "Be right back."

As Stella left, Victoria took a few moments to look around the bar itself. Plenty of bottles were on shelves behind the counter, showing that Stella believed in carrying a wide assortment of liquors. She might've been tempted to order a glass herself but not with a stomach as empty as hers. No need to get drunk her first night in town. Oddly enough, there didn't seem to be a wide range of taps on display like she was used to seeing at other bars in the past. She could only see a couple of handles visible and neither had labels whatsoever.

"Those are my own recipes," Stella stated, having come back around the bar and stepped up to Victoria. "Trying to keep traditional beers on tap, like Budweiser or Coors, is honestly more trouble and expense than they're worth, so if you want one of those, it'll be a bottle."

"I'll pass for now," Victoria said. "Honestly, I was hoping for a meal. Pierre mentioned you have a rotating menu?"

"Yup! Tonight's special are crab cakes, made from what Brooke has caught fresh today. Really tasty. We also have a walleye filet served with a mushroom risotto and green beans. Or, if you're wanting to play it safe since you have no idea of the quality of the food here, I do have a recipe for pepperoni pizza that'll definitely hit the spot."

Victoria felt her stomach growl again and prayed that Stella couldn't hear it. "All of it sounds really good, but if it's okay, I'd like to try the pizza."

"Of course," Stella said with a grin. "Trust me, I know what it's like to be in a new place and not know anything about anything. And what to drink?"

"Water for now."

"You got it."

A moment later and Victoria was sipping a tall glass of ice water, watching as Stella left the bar to go to the back room, presumably the kitchen. It was weird, she thought, to see any place, but especially a bar, completely unattended. But then again, in such a small town, any theft would likely be noticed quickly and the perpetrator caught in no time.

Another minute later and Stella came back, then set a plate down in front of Victoria. "Here you go, the newcomer's special: fresh made garlic bread. On the house."

Victoria leaned forward and took a deep breath through her nose. "Oh, my god, that smells divine."

"Tastes even better, trust me. Oh, and here." Stella reached over and set down a rolled cloth napkin and silverware. "Enjoy!"

She didn't bother with either the napkin or silverware. Victoria simply grabbed one of the slices and took a healthy bite, then nearly groaned in delight. Stella was right: it really did taste better than it smelled. Propriety be damned, she tore into the rest of the slice, finishing it quickly. She took her time with the other slice, savoring the flavor, and by the time she was finished, Stella was making her way back, 12" pizza in hand.

"And, voilà! One thin-crust artisanal cheese and pepperoni pizza. Actually, I hope thin crust is okay. I completely forgot to ask before making it."

Victoria smiled at that. "And I completely forgot to ask as well. Fortunately, I like thin crust. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Hearing her front door open, Stella glanced over Victoria's shoulder and grinned. "Hey, Marnie. Your usual?"

"Yes, please."

"Coming right up." Stella gave Victoria a friendly smile. "Be right back."

In lieu of actually saying anything, on account that her mouth was full, Victoria simply nodded. Fortunately, Stella was rather fluent in Eatingese and took no offense at the non-verbal response. Quite the opposite, in fact. She was pretty proud that something she cooked was so good that it rendered a patron incapable of speaking.

Victoria had thoroughly demolished half the pizza by the time Stella came back and was savoring slice #4. "This is incredible."

"Thanks! The trick is the fresh mozzarella combined with the homemade dough and sauce. But since I'm no _charcutier,_ I have to purchase the pepperoni from elsewhere. I always do my best to get the best quality meats, though maintaining a steady supply can be tricky at times."

"Due to the remoteness of the town?"

"Got it on one."

"And what happens if you can't?"

"Tofu pizza," Stella answered with a serious nod, then grinned at Victoria's shocked look. "Nah, just joking. Depending of my current inventory, I'll either swap to ham or ground beef, or simply make veggie and cheese pizzas. Worst case scenario, I'll temporarily remove it from rotation, though fortunately, that hasn't happened yet."

Victoria polished off slice #4 and picked up #5. "As good as this is, is it safe to assume pizza's pretty popular here?"

"Immensely," Stella said with a bit of pride. "Beats out hamburgers, easily, so much so that I tend to serve those only once every couple of weeks."

"Mmm," was Victoria's reply as she took another bite.

Stella smiled at that, then placed her hand on her hip. "So, how's farm life treating you so far? Word is you moved in only yesterday so I wasn't sure how much you've managed to do so far."

"That's correct," Victoria answered after swallowing. It was odd. Gossip was universal no matter where you lived but in the city, people always gossiped behind your back. Here, people flat-out admitted they've been asking about you. She supposed it was just the nature of living in such a small town. At least everyone was friendly about it. "Right now, it's too soon to tell. I've been mostly clearing the property of debris and taking stock on what needs to be repaired."

"You're in luck when it comes to repairs, then. If it's a tool you need fixed or other metal work that needs to be done, our blacksmith lives that-a-way," Stella said, pointing, "towards the library/museum. Our resident carpenter, enjoying dinner right over there," she said with a nod in Robin's direction, "lives up the hill a bit, past the old Community Center. For mechanical work, or general handyman type stuff you can't handle, you'll likely need to ask Chloe, though finding her can be a bit problematic at times."

"Not local?"

"Kinda yes, kinda no. She has a place on the outskirts of town, at the junkyard, though she's not exactly a people person. She's a bit abrasive and has quite the mouth, though she's friendly with me, so if you need her help, I should be able to send a message to her."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Stella leaned forward a touch and smiled. "So, you have any help on that big, empty farm of yours?"

"Ahem!"

Both Stella and Victoria glanced over at the interruption to the lady at the end of the bar, who was holding up her now empty glass. "You know what I need, girlie, so hop to it."

"A new liver?" Stella quipped, walking to the end of the bar.

"Don't get smart with me," was the lady's acerbic response. "I don't appreciate it."

"Learn to use my name and maybe I'll stop," Stella shot back.

Victoria watched the back and forth, amused, but was more focused on Stella's question. Unless she severely missed her guess, Stella wasn't really asking if Victoria was alone on her farm. She'd already know that, thanks to Mayor Lewis and Robin, both of whom had greeted Victoria when she first moved in and were likely the ones responsible for spreading word about her to the rest of the town. No, Stella was likely asking if Victoria was _looking_ for company. Which, hell, was kind of flattering (and honestly relieving) but it was a bit too soon for her. But perhaps...

"Sorry about the interruption," Stella said as she returned, "but the excitement never stops at the Stardrop Saloon."

"I understand," Victoria said with a friendly smile. "And to answer your question, at the moment, no, but in the future, who knows?"

Stella had a really nice smile, Victoria thought, and seeing it aimed at her was rather pleasant. "Keeping your options open. I like that." The front door opening interrupted anything else she might've said. She glanced past Victoria and gave a friendly wave. "Hey, girls! Be right there!"

"Thanks!"

She looked back to Victoria and gave her a rueful grin. "Duty calls, I'm afraid."

"Then don't let me hold you back. But, what do I owe you?" Victoria asked, motioning to her now empty platter.

"One pizza, no drink, plus tax, $16.50," was Stella's easy answer.

Victoria nodded, then fished around her purse and withdrew a $20. "Here you go. And keep the change."

"Thanks a ton," Stella said, taking the bill in one hand, then stuck her other hand out, figuring that Victoria was about to leave. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Kind of impossible here," Victoria joked as she gave Stella's hand a quick shake, then grinned as Stella laughed.

"You got that right! Have a good night."

"You as well."

* * *

Stella quickly rang up Victoria's meal and deposited the money into the register. For a newcomer, and a city slicker at that, she had come across as really friendly. Juliet had warned her that Victoria might not be the best at casual conversation, judging by the book she had seen at the old Chase place, but Stella thought she did just fine. Maybe a bit stiff at times but that was okay.

Patting the front of her apron to ensure she still had her notepad and pen, Stella stepped out from behind the bar and made her way to the side room with the pool table and arcade cabinets. She wasn't surprised to see her friends had already set up the table and were in the middle of a match. "Sorry for the delay there."

"No worries," Juliet said as she watched Dana line up a shot. "We saw you were busy flirting with the new girl and didn't want to interrupt."

"That wasn't flirting," Stella protested. "That was just me taking care of my customer."

"Uh-huh." Dana took her shot, sending the #3 ball into the corner pocket with a small crack. "Just like how you don't flirt with us?"

"That's completely different and you know it. Plus, I hate to say it, but there's no evidence she's actually gay."

"No evidence," Steph said, stepping up to take her turn, "but that doesn't mean you weren't fishing for clues. We know you."

"Well, you got me there," Stella said with a shrug. "Don't take this as fact, but based on what I saw and heard, I'm tentatively leaning towards at least bi."

Dana shot her hand straight up in the air, like she was back in grade school. "Dibs!"

Juliet lightly smacked Dana in the back of the head. "You can't call dibs on a person, you doof," she admonished.

"And if you tried, I'd be forced to not actually serve you dinner tonight," Stella added.

"No, don't do that!" Dana clapped her hands together and gave Stella her patented puppy dog eyes. "Please don't deny me food. I'll be good, promise!"

Stella slapped a hand over her eyes. "No! Stop! Turn them off! I give!"

Everyone had a good chuckle before Stella pulled out her notepad. "What'll it be tonight?"

"Jules and I will split a pizza, cola and water to drink."

Steph leaned down and lined up her shot. "I'll have the crab cakes and a salad, whatever juice is fresh to drink."

"Got it." Stella put the notepad back in her pocket. "Be right back, ladies." She turned and made her way back to the bar but not before checking in on her other guests.

With a soft crack, Steph sent the #4 ball into the side pocket, then stood upright. "What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that Jules and Stella have a head start on the both of us," Dana answered, the shrugged when Juliet looked her way. "What? It's true! You two have already talked to her and we haven't."

" _I'm_ thinking it's way too early to tell," Juliet stated, looking over the table to find the #5 ball. "I honestly didn't get any vibes from her either way but considering she just got here and is focused on settling in and working Papa Chase's farm, that's not surprising."

Steph nodded. "So, take things easy, get to know her like a normal person, and don't charge in like a dog devouring a bone."

"Right," Juliet replied as she leaned down to take her shot.

"In other words, don't introduce her to Rachel," Dana said with a grin.

Juliet snickered and as a result, totally screwed up her shot. "You did that on purpose!" she accused, whirling around to face Dana. She still had a wide smile on her face, though.

Steph shook her head at the two. "It's a small town. Everyone's going to meet her, probably before the week's out, even Rachel."

"Think we should warn Victoria about her first?" Juliet asked.

All three looked to one another before grinning. "Nah!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, unlike the Stardew Valley game, Victoria has an actual bathroom. It does have a partial wall dividing it from the bedroom, though it lacks a door. Which is fine for a single home and you're not expecting company but might be the cause of some embarrassment later.
> 
> One thing I haven't quite nailed down is who had a childhood in Pelican Town and who moved here later on. I'm certain that this is a detail I'm going to forget later on but at the moment, I'm thinking Juliet and Taylor definitely grew up there, maybe Dana. Max and Brooke, likely not, while Stella and Alyssa definitely moved in from elsewhere. Courtney commutes. Uncertain about Steph, Chloe, Rachel, and Kate.
> 
> Though it'll be pretty easy to figure out as time goes on, here's an abbreviated list of what Life Is Strange characters are replacing what Stardew Valley ones:
> 
>   * Steph replaces Maru, lives with Robin, mother, and Demetrius, father
>   * Dana replaces Alex, lives with George, grandfather, and Evelyn, grandmother
>   * Juliet replaces Abigail, lives with Pierre, father, and Caroline, mother
>   * Stella replaces Gus, lives alone
>   * No Elliot, Sebastian, Linus, or Shane
>   * Harvey is still the town's doctor but is not a marriage candidate
> 

> 
> A question I remember from the comments in Worthy that I wanted to partially address here: if everyone's delightfully gay, then why haven't they been dating each other before Victoria showed up? It's a bit early to say anything concrete but it's entirely possible that some of them have, though a few of them wouldn't have at all, for reasons that will come up as the story continues. They're all at least friendly with one another, with some friendships being stronger with certain ones than others, as in real life. The real reason, of course, is I want a lot of options for Victoria.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one!


	4. The Blacksmith, Alyssa

The next morning found Victoria grabbing the axe from her barn, ready to try her hand at chopping up some of the fallen logs around the farm. It occurred to her over breakfast that moving all those rocks yesterday was the equivalent of doing some serious weight lifting and so, opted to wait a day between sessions, just as she would if she were pumping iron. She had managed to clear out a sizable area close to her house, enough that she felt comfortable trying her hand at tilling the area and planting something there soon, but wanted to rid herself of one log that was, in her mind, slightly in the way.

She tugged on her gloves then flicked her thumb over the bit of the axe head. It was a touch rusty but still held an edge. Satisfied, Victoria readied her stance in front of said log, hefted the axe in both hands, and gave it a mighty swing.

And with a loud thunk, the axe head buried itself into the log.

Satisfied, Victoria lifted the axe and repeated the act.

Again. And again, and again, and again, until finally, the log was reduced to scraps and splinters.

Victoria grinned. There was something quite therapeutic about the act of chopping, she was discovering. But, she reminded herself as she loaded up the crumbling wood in her wheelbarrow, there was no need to get careless. This was a heavy, bladed tool, after all, and if the axe could break through the log that easily, her leg and foot would offer up little resistance. So, play it safe, control her swings, and don't try to rush. Slow and steady wins the race, after all.

She rolled her wheelbarrow over to another log further along her property and made short work of it, cleaning up the debris, before making her way to the next. And so on and so forth. She was making damn good progress, she thought. But it was when she tried her hand at a much larger log that lay close to the farm's pond that she got a rather rude surprise.

CRACK!

Victoria stumbled forward, not expecting the momentum of her swing to keep going, and just barely managed to catch herself before she planted face-first into the ground. She pushed herself upright, an unpleasant stinging traveling up both of her arms, then took a look at her axe to figure out what the hell happened.

Then blinked. "Fucking hell, are you shitting me right now?"

In her hands, what was once a long-handled axe was now just a broken handle. She looked at the log and saw the axe head partially embedded in it, a long splinter of what was once a solid handle protruding from the eye. She glared at the handle, glared at the axe head, then glared at the log. "Fuck you very much."

A slight rustling noise behind Victoria made her spin around, broken axe handle at the ready, before she saw a rabbit scamper from one bush to another. She snorted softly, still not used to all the wildlife around the Valley, then shook her head. "Stupid log. Stupid axe. Now what the fuck am I--"

And that's when Victoria remembered what Stella had said last night at the Saloon: If it's a tool you need fixed or other metal work that needs to be done, our blacksmith lives that-a-way, towards the library/museum.

Victoria closed her eyes, took a deep breath to calm herself, and relaxed. No point in bitching and moaning, she told herself. Yes, she was prematurely stopped in her task but it was an accident, pure and simple. Fortunately for her, she had a clear solution to the problem.

Using the shattered handle as a makeshift club, Victoria smacked the stuck axe head back and forth until it fell free, then tossed it and the handle into her wheelbarrow. In short order, she emptied the debris into the growing pile of wood refuse, dusted off the axe head, retrieved her wallet from inside her house (she had no idea if the blacksmith charged in advance or not and wanted to be prepared), and began walking to town. With a little bit of luck, she'd have a new axe by lunch.

* * *

If there was one thing that was going to take a while to get used to, it was the friendliness of everyone she'd met so far. There was Caroline, wife of Pierre and mother to Juliet, who was chatting with Jodi, whose husband was serving overseas. There was Demetrius, whom she saw dancing with Robin last night, a scientist and botanist, taking soil samples near the river. And Evelyn, an elderly woman tending to her flower garden, who surprised the shit out of Victoria when she outright stated, "You seem friendly and smart, and you're quite beautiful. If you stick around, I'll introduce you to my granddaughter when she gets back from wherever."

"I, um..." It had been a long-ass time since anyone had completely floored Victoria and it took her several seconds to recover. "Maybe some other time? I have to visit the blacksmith about a broken tool."

"Then don't let this old woman keep you any longer," Evelyn had replied easily enough. "Good luck on your farm, y'hear?"

"Thank you."

Victoria made her way across a wonderfully maintained stone bridge and approached what could only be the blacksmith's building, judging by the huge outdoor furnace, soot, and bits of slag in the dirt. Since it was still business hours, she let herself inside.

A little bell above the door rang out, catching the blacksmith's attention, who turned. Victoria was admittedly surprised. She had expected the blacksmith to be a man, not a (mid-twenties, blue eyes, purple hair, and muscles that looked like the belonged on a heavy-weight boxer) woman. She recovered quickly enough, though. "The blacksmith, I presume?

"You presume correctly," came the reply. "I'm Alyssa, and I'd shake your hand but they're not the most clean at the moment."

"Victoria," was Victoria's reply as she stepped forward and stuck her hand out, wanting to make a good impression. "And I'm not scared of some dirt."

That was apparently the right approach because the polite smile on Alyssa's face grew considerably warmer. "Nice." The pair shook hands, then Alyssa continued. "Welcome to my shop, Victoria. What can I do for you?"

"Stella told me last night that you repair tools?" Victoria offered, showing Alyssa the axe head in her hand.

Tsking, Alyssa reached out and took hold of the remains of the axe. "Let me guess: you grabbed it from your shed, took a few swings at a tree, and it suddenly broke?"

"Close. It was a barn and it lasted through several fallen logs, until I went for one of the bigger ones."

"You didn't think to inspect the handle first?"

Victoria could feel her defensiveness rising and did her best to beat it down. "Would it surprise you to know that I have no idea what you're taking about? I saw the axe, it looked intact, I used it."

"You got lucky, then," Alyssa stated simply. "This tool, and likely the others in your barn, haven't been properly maintained in years and may all be on the verge of breaking. Before using any others, you'll want to take a good look at their handles for any long cracks that run along the wood grain." She brushed her finger down the shattered handle so Victoria knew what she was talking about. "If you see any, there's a real possibility that any undue stress will cause them to break like this one did." She shrugged. "But, hey, it happens, and judging by the lack of bandages on you, I assume no one was hurt by any flying splinters or the head itself, so we'll count it as a win."

Alyssa turned the axe head over in her hands. "The good news is this'll be a pretty easy fix. All I have to do is knock this out," she said, pointing to the handle's remains, "probably after drilling through it a bit to weaken the hold, do some sanding to remove the surface rust, treat it to prevent future rust, replace the handle, then sharpen the blade. Parts and labor, we'll call it $35."

Victoria honestly wasn't sure if that was a good quote. "You know, it occurs to me that I didn't bother researching the probable cost before coming here, so I'll just ask outright: is that a fair price?"

"I think it is," Alyssa replied with a smile. "A high-quality handle can run between 20 to 25 bucks around these parts, and I don't carry the cheap ones. Those never work out in the long term and I believe in work that will last. Compare that to the cost of a brand new, high quality axe, which can range between 60 to 90, and can even go higher, depending if you're wanting things like a composite or fiberglass handle."

All of that sounded reasonable to Victoria, who nodded. "So, $25 for the handle, $10 for labor. Sounds good. How long do you figure it'll it take?"

"Won't be ready until tomorrow."

Victoria blinked at that. "I thought you said it was an easy fix?"

"That's right, but unfortunately, I have a couple of jobs ahead of yours and I always work in a first-come, first-serve basis. Plus, I close at 4, and I anticipate one of these jobs will take me right up to that time, if not carry over into tomorrow a bit."

"Fair enough," Victoria said after a moment. "Should I swing by before or after lunch tomorrow?"

"After lunch is probably better," Alyssa stated, taking the axe head to a workbench and setting it down. "Just in case one of the other jobs winds up dragging out longer than I'm estimating." She scrawled something on a sticky note then place said note on the axe head. "Quality work takes time and I believe in delivering quality."

"I appreciate a solid work ethic," Victoria said, then smiled. "And I'd rather not have another one shatter in my hands while swinging so by all means, take your time."

"Definitely won't happen this time," Alyssa said with a grin of her own, then returned to the counter.

"In that case, I'll leave you to it." Victoria stuck out her hand one more time. "Nice meeting you."

"You as well," Alyssa replied, giving Victoria's hand a firm shake. "Take care."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe a little less flirty than we were all expecting but my goal here was to make Alyssa a bit standoffish at first, then have her warm up to Victoria as time goes on. Both she and Victoria will have positive things to say about their first meeting with each other that will come up later.
> 
> I've actually started another playthrough of Stardew Valley since it's been over a year since I touched my previous saved game and I've forgotten what I was doing. I can't complain, though, since I accomplished my main goal in that playthrough, marrying Abigail, as well as dating all the available bachelorettes. I'm looking forward to discovering all the new stuff they've added in update 1.4 and will do what I can to accomplish some of the goals I missed out on the first time around, namely, collecting and cooking all the recipes.
> 
> What can I say? I like cooking.
> 
> Coming up next, we have Taylor's introduction, followed by Courtney. I'm toying with a second Juliet chapter, revealing her investigative journalist aspirations, but I'm still trying to get the feel just right. I have an idea on how to introduce Chloe and Dana, I'm still working on Brooke's voice, Steph's intro needs an appropriate setup, and haven't quite figured out Max and Kate yet.
> 
> I'm also wondering if I should include the whole Junimo thing as well as the wizard, though if I go with the latter, I'll likely change him to Mildred Rasmodius, a sorcerous, just for fun. Though, in a nod to Abigail's probable background in Stardew Valley, I'm also tempted to tie Mildred to Kate, and see what happens there.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this one!


	5. The Museum Curator, Taylor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me here as well!  
> <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

Victoria stepped outside blacksmith's shop and took a moment to just marvel at Alyssa's physique. Hot damn that woman was built like a brick shit house! She could probably lift Victoria bodily with just one hand. And her hands...! Yes, they were calloused but God, she could feel the strength in them, and yet her grip, though firm, wasn't overpowering. It was like Alyssa knew her own strength and took care not to hurt those around her. Imagining that strength, that power (those hands), was leading to some very interesting thoughts.

…ahem.

Shaking her head, Victoria did her best to rid herself of her rampant fantasies (later, she promised herself) and tried to think of what to do next. It was a bit early for lunch yet so that was out. She could head back to the farm and inspect her other tools, make sure they were viable. But then again, she hadn't really had much of a chance to explore Pelican Town since moving in. Why not take a few minutes to look around now?

Going with that plan, Victoria walked down the path a bit, enjoying the clean air, slight breeze, and warm sun. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, a soft smile growing on her face. Yes, it was only Tuesday and she had just moved in Sunday but damn if she didn't already love it here. She felt more content after being in Pelican Town for 48 hours than in all the years in her condo back in Seattle.

The sound of a door opening followed by children's laughter caught her attention. As Victoria watched, two kids, a boy and a girl, came around the corner of the nearby building, each one holding the hand of a girl (low twenties, long, dirty blonde hair in a bun atop her head, gentle face, cute smile), tugging her along. Said girl was laughing along with the two children as they made their way down the path to the stone bridge and towards the town center. None of them noticed Victoria which was fine by her. As much as she thought she was improving when it came to speaking to people like they were human beings, children were still a huge unknown and she didn't trust herself not to say something too harsh around them.

Hmm. It might be time to skip ahead in her book and see if there was a "how not to be an ass when talking to kids" chapter.

But now that she was thinking about it, Stella did mention a library/museum near the blacksmith shop. Considering this building was likely it, Victoria went to the front door and let herself inside.

The quietness was the first thing that she noticed when the door closed behind her. It was definitely a library, all right. Tall shelves were everywhere, both free-standing and lining the walls, and all of them were filled with books. She didn't immediately see the museum portion of the building but a glance to her right showed the interior continued quite a ways, so she figured it was deeper inside. Thick rugs dotted the floor here and there, likely helping with the noise reduction.

Standing behind the front counter was... someone. Victoria couldn't make out the person's features as they were hunched over, closely examining what looked like a chunk of wood. It must've been important, though, as the person was handling said wood while wearing what appeared to be cotton gloves. An artifact, perhaps? As Victoria watched, the person reached up a hand, flipped down a lens from the weird headpiece she was wearing, and leaned in close with a soft, "Hmm..."

Victoria stepped up to the counter and waited for the person to notice her but after several moments, it became apparent that the person was so buried in their work, they weren't even aware they had company. And so, Victoria cleared her throat.

That might've been a mistake. The noise startled the person and they jerked upright, and for a split second, Victoria was staring into a 3 inch wide blue eyeball.

Then, the person shrieked.

Both Victoria and the person jumped back from one another, though the person behind the counter tripped and fell on her ass. "GODDAMN FUCKING CHRIST ON A POGO STICK WHAT THE FUCKING SHIT!!!"

Victoria blinked at the diatribe, then grinned. "Impressive. I haven't heard language like that since the last time I stubbed my toe."

Like a light switch, the cussing instantly ceased and the girl (blonde hair, blue eyes, rather expressive face, nice figure) shot to her feet. "Oh, crap! Are Kate and the kids still here?"

"Girl about yea tall," Victoria asked, holding her hand to about her shoulder level, "dirty blonde hair in a bun?"

"Yeah, that's Kate."

Victoria pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. "I just saw her walking back to town with a girl and boy a couple of minutes ago."

The girl sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. I do my best to hold my tongue when they're around but, dammit, you scared the shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry," Victoria said, even though she didn't feel like she was in the wrong. "I didn't mean to." She stepped forward and stuck out her hand. "Victoria Chase. I just moved here."

"I'd heard," the girl replied, quickly slipping off her right glove to shake Victoria's hand. "Taylor Christensen, owner and curator of the museum and library. A pleasure."

"Likewise." Victoria let go and motioned towards the chunk of wood on the counter. "I take it you were examining this thing?"

"Yeah. Chloe brought it in before she left on her journey and I'm just now getting to it. She picked it up after a jaunt through the caves north of town and wondered if it was worth anything. I told her I'd take a look." Taylor looked up and grinned. "I must've zoned out and didn't hear you come in. Sorry for screaming in your face."

Hmm. Taylor apologized, too, and it seemed genuine, so Victoria rolled with it. "We'll say we're even and go from there. Deal?"

"Deal," Taylor replied, then reached up and removed her headpiece that Victoria now saw held a collection of different sized magnifying lenses on multiple arms. "I had hopes that this piece would be the start of a new collection but from what I tell, this wood, while likely dated, has no archaeological significance whatsoever. The markings that Chloe thought might've been some kind of writing are actually tiny claw marks from some animal or another." She shrugged and placed the piece of wood on a shelf behind the counter before removing her other glove. "I'll leave this here until Chloe comes back by to ask about it."

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you mean by 'new collection?'" Victoria asked.

Taylor sighed, then stepped around the counter. "If you'll follow me, I'll be glad to show you."

Victoria fell in step behind Taylor (taking a moment to scope out how her skirt hugged her just so), then remembered she hadn't ever set foot inside this building before and started looking around. And was impressed. Pelican Town was barely a blip on the radar but they certainly didn't skimp on the quantity of books. "This is a substantial collection you have here. I'm kind of surprised."

"Thanks. We actually have Papa Chase to thank for that."

"Really?"

Taylor looked over her shoulder and smiled. "He loved reading and thought it was absolutely criminal that our little library was so under-stocked. He did his damnedest to build this place up, even donating some of his own books to make it happen." She came to a stop in the next room, Victoria joining her. "'There's no larger nation in the world than the Imagination,' he was fond of saying, and when we were kids, would take all of us on a magical journey by reading stories out loud right over there." She pointed to one corner where a large easy chair sat, a small table close by. "He helped me discover my own love of books and so, once I graduated college and moved back, I happily took over this place."

Victoria wasn't quite sure what to say to all that but felt she had to try. "I'm glad, then, that he helped out so much and was such an inspiration for you. I'm just sorry I missed out."

"Missed out?" Taylor asked, turning to face Victoria.

"Yeah. The farm is pretty far from where we lived in Seattle, so I actually didn't see much of him until he moved back, so my folks could take care of him in his final years. Otherwise, I'm sure I would've loved to hear him read to me, too."

Taylor reached out and gave Victoria's arm a gentle touch. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Victoria took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "He passed several years ago, peacefully, in his sleep, but while he was alive, he loved to tell me all about life here in the Valley. I know he'd love that you took over here." She watched as Taylor gave her a tremulous smile, then turned away with a loud sniff. Knowing she needed a moment to recover, Victoria instead looked at the chair, imagining Grandpa seated there, book in hand, a gaggle of kids at his feet, all paying rapt attention as he read to them. Maybe if Victoria had lived here, she'd be listening as well, tugging on his pant leg to ask a question, or maybe trying to climb in his lap the way she did with her dad when she was really young, before she considered herself "too grown up" for that sort of thing.

God, she was an idiot. She made a mental note to text her dad later.

"Gah!" was Taylor's exclamation after she blew her nose into a handkerchief. She sniffed and turned back to Victoria, an apologetic smile on her face. "I'm a sappy, sentimental shit, in case you hadn't figured it out by now. Still cry at the end of movies I've seen a hundred times and all that. Hope that doesn't turn you away from visiting us, though."

Victoria nearly rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. And don't worry, my mom's a bit of the same way. She'll put up a good front in public but in the privacy of her home, she'll bawl her eyes out watching _Steel Magnolias_ for the thousandth time."

"Oh my God, don't get me started on that one." Taylor fanned her face before turning and waved to the next room. "C'mon, let me show you the rest of the place before I start remembering the sad parts in that movie."

Victoria smirked at that and followed Taylor into a large, and rather empty, room. Their footsteps even echoed as they walked. There were obviously multiple places for artifacts but every single spot was clear. "This is the museum?"

"This _was_ the museum, Taylor said sadly. "The previous curator had apparently donated several of his own pieces to the museum and, when he got a better paying position in the Zuzu Natural History Museum, absconded with both "his" share and ours. Hence, the reason I was hoping that Chloe's piece was the start of a new collection."

"And you didn't have his ass arrested? Or at least sue him into oblivion?"

"No money for a lawsuit. And besides, as the curator, he had access to all the paperwork declaring what belonged to whom. Altered every single page, then took them, too."

Victoria shook her head. "Christ, what an asshole."

Taylor gave her a friendly slap on the arm. "My sentiments exactly!" The two shared a wide grin before Taylor snapped her fingers. "Hey, I just had a thought."

"What's that?"

"Chloe brings things in irregularly, hoping to score big, but so far, hasn't had any luck. You think you can keep your eyes out for anything interesting?"

"What, like artifacts?" Victoria looked confused. "I live on a farm, not a dig site."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," Taylor said with a wide smile. "Not a lot of people know this but Stardew Valley is an archaeologist's wet dream. Half the artifacts we featured in this very museum actually came from the nearby mines and quarry."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. So, I'm thinking, as you dig around your property to plant crops or whatnot, if you come across something, would you consider donating them to us? Not everything, though. I mean, if you find, like, a chest of buried gold doubloons or something, I fully expect you to cash that shit in." Taylor grinned at Victoria's snort of amusement. "But little trinkets you can't identify, old tools of a bygone era, hell, I'll even take really interesting rocks, geodes, and other minerals if you find them."

Victoria took a look around the rather empty museum, wondering what it'd look like if it was full of artifacts. She wondered if Grandpa had looked at the pieces on display, researched them himself, maybe even discovered one or two on the farm as he worked the land. The thought made her smile as did the thought of continuing that part of his legacy. She turned to Taylor, saw the expectant look on her face, and nodded. "Consider it done."

"Yay!" Without thinking, Taylor shot forward and wrapped Victoria in a huge hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" She stepped back, grabbed Victoria's hand, and started pumping it up and down. "This is going to be awesome, you're awesome, you seriously won't regret this at all." She let go and motioned to the room once more. "I'll tell you what: you help me restore the museum to its former glory and I'll even name this room after you. We'll call it the Chase Space!" She shot Victoria a huge smile. "How's that sound?"

"Wow." Victoria had to take a moment to reset her brain. "Um, yeah. That sounds great."

"Wonderful!" Taylor looked like she was about to say more when her phone let out a loud tone. She took it from her hip holster and glanced at the screen. "Oh, crap! There's a call I have to make right about now, super important. I'm so, so sorry but I seriously have to go."

Victoria waved aside the apology. "You're fine. You go ahead and take care of business. I'll see myself out."

"Awesome! See you around, Victoria!" And with an about-face, Taylor hurried out of the room, dialing as she went.

Well. That was a thing. Victoria cleared her throat softly and tried not to think how good it felt to get a hug, even an unexpected one. When was the last time she was touched so casually? If she had to guess, it was probably at college, likely at some sorority party or another and doubtlessly during her sophomore year, since she was too busy her junior and senior years to do much other than study her ass off. Damn, had it really been that long?

She shook her head slowly, though she couldn't help but smile. Taylor seemed rather fun. Very open and totally not like her peers back in Seattle. Or herself, for that matter. She could imagine hanging out with her, loosening up enough to shoot the shit, maybe watch some movies. Just not the sappy ones. She wasn't sure she had enough tissues for that.

Victoria made her way outside and started back to town, thinking about the possibilities of making actual, honest-to-goodness friends here. So far, every girl she'd met has been different from one another but all of them were friendly and interesting. Was it too much to hope for that she'd be able to make friends with all of them? Probably. But, that didn't mean she couldn't try. So, when it came time to crack open her book and find the "how not to be a raging cunt to kids" chapter, she was also going to see if there were any advanced techniques she could study that would turn polite conversations into real friendships.

Of course, if she was going to do that, she kind of needed a place for them to hang out. The Saloon was fine for conversation but if she was going to be social and invite people over, she was going to have to get more furniture, chairs at least.

Wait.

Victoria paused at the bridge as another thought occurred to her. Didn't she see a furniture catalog at Pierre's yesterday? Maybe there was a way to get something ordered and delivered? Hmm. She'd have to check that out. And since it was around lunch time and she was needing to hit the general store anyway for food stuffs, she may as well take a look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yesterday was a good brain day, very productive. I wound up typing up a lot, including a good portion of the first chapter of a sequel/spinoff series of [13: Not So Unlucky Anymore](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20755481/chapters/49317740). It was something that was always in the works, a series of chapters focused on Max and each of her girls as they explore one another in an intimate fashion. We'll see if it goes anywhere outside of just the one chapter, though the ultimate goal is one chapter per soulmate, with the possibility of some groups as well.
> 
> But I wanted to share that goodness with everyone here, and what better way than to post a new chapter?
> 
> This Taylor was fun to invent: the excitable girl with the potty mouth, whose emotions are plain for all to see. Victoria thinking about how they might become friends is a bit of a callback to their relationship in Worthy, where they do share a deep friendship with one another. This also lays the groundwork for one of Stardew Valley's game mechanics: donating to the museum.
> 
> Now, I know that in real life, if an important artifact turned up in someone's yard, that place would become a veritable hotbed of activity as university students and archaeologists from all over would scour the place for days and weeks. We're going to not do that here, though, since that sort of real life stuff just kind of gets in the way of the whimsical nature of everything else I have in store.
> 
> "There's no larger nation in the world than the Imagination." This quote is derived from the movie _Miracle on 34th Street_ , the 1947 original version, in which Kris Kringle, who is how I picture Grandpa in Stardew Valley, says something similar to Susan.
> 
> In chapter 3's comments, I explained to Kiba_Wolf that the main story was going to remain PG-13, though if things do heat up, I'll likely post said scenes in a separate, though parallel, work. Does this sound okay for everyone else, too?
> 
> In chapter 4's comments, Causual gave me the idea to introduce some magic into the story. Not anything huge, mind you. No one's going to be throwing around lightning bolts or anything. But if I can get it to work, I'm not adverse to introducing the Junimos to the story and connecting it to Grandpa, the farm, and Victoria in some small way. We'll see what happens!
> 
> Thanks for reading and for all your support! It really does mean a lot to me.
> 
> EDIT - March 26, 2020: Very minor change to Taylor's dialogue. I originally had her tell Victoria that Chloe brought in the piece of wood "yesterday" which conflicts with the now-established timeline where Chloe's been out of town for a while. This is because I wrote this chapter long before I planned Chloe's introduction. With the altered dialogue, things are now consistent.


	6. JojaMart Manager, Courtney

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I sometimes post things here, too, if you want to stop by: <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

Victoria decided to take a slightly different route to Pierre's, figuring that even if she didn't know Pelican Town all that well, it was too small to actually get lost. Plus, it would allow her to figure out where everything was located, just in case it became important later. Seeing an open area just beyond the museum and Alyssa's shop, she headed north and discovered an absolutely gorgeous copse consisting of several different species of trees arranged in a fenced enclosure, some of which she was certain weren't native to the area. Visually, though, they worked great together, with their vastly different barks, sprawling branches, and various shapes of their leaves.

Just past the enclosure was a small collection of bushes that at one point may have been a hedge but was in need of some trimming. She wondered if Alyssa, who was the closest, was the person who took care of this patch and simply hadn't gotten around to it yet, or if someone else in town did. Perhaps the townsfolk traded off duties like that? Or did the town collectively hire a company to do the landscaping at some point? She'd have to ask Mayor Lewis about it later.

Right beyond the hedge was the local JojaMart, the sight of which made Victoria let out a soft, contemplative hum. She had mixed feelings about Joja Corp in general. On one hand, she could respect the blood, sweat, and tears it took for its founder to build it from a small cola factory into the huge corporation it was today. It was similar to how her family built its legacy, after all. On the other hand, this specific store stuck out like a sore thumb in a small town like Pelican, it's ultra-modern aesthetic clashing greatly with the homey wooden structures of all the other shops and homes. She wondered if the person who green-lit its construction was fired as the area was too remote from any sizable population centers to bring in a consistent profit. Being constructed 15 miles north, closer to Zuzu City, would've made a lot more sense financially.

Shrugging at the overall oddity of the presence of this store here of all places, Victoria decided to take a quick look inside. So far, she had managed to find everything she needed from Pierre's and hadn't needed to shop here yet but it couldn't hurt to check out their inventory to see if they carried anything worthwhile.

"Welcome to JojaMart!" came the greeting from the lone cashier, whose cheer was as false as her eyelashes and probably her tits, too. Mentally berating herself for the harsh thought (she was really trying to be better about crap like that), Victoria gave the girl a slight wave and a polite smile, then started walking the aisles. What she saw didn't surprise her: lots and lots of canned food, boxed meals, and a decent-sized frozen food section with all the money-saving brands she figured would be stocked. Not a bad thing but she had hoped that there would be a supply of some of the more local, regional brands like at Pierre's. She did see one of her preferred shampoos, though, which was nice. Her bottle was practically full so she didn't need to purchase another one right now but she did wonder if Pierre's would be able to stock it. She pulled out her cell phone and tapped the memo app to remind herself to ask.

"Good afternoon and welcome to JojaMart," came a new voice.

Victoria looked up from her phone to see a girl (mid-twenties, black hair, blue eyes, quite attractive) standing nearby. She was professionally attired in a navy pantsuit, sensible black shoes, an off-white blouse, and tastefully applied makeup that accentuated her beauty. It was a far cry from the overdone appearance of the cashier and made her all the more attractive for it. Based on her bearing alone, it was obvious that Victoria she was speaking to the manager. "Good afternoon."

The girl approached and reached out a friendly hand. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting yet. I'm Courtney, district manager of JojaMart."

Ah, not merely a manager but a district manager. That would explain her near-perfect professionalism. Victoria accepted the hand and gave it a firm shake. "Victoria, and I only recently moved to Pelican Town on Sunday. This is the first opportunity I've had to step inside."

"Sunday?" Courtney asked as she left go. "Surprising. I was under the impression that this area of Stardew Valley didn't get many newcomers."

"That would be correct, so you may consider me the outlier."

Courtney's eyebrow quirked ever-so slightly at the phrasing but she continued. "Are you finding everything to your liking?" 

"So far, I am," Victoria stated, "though I'm not yet in need of anything at the moment. I was taking some notes of the brands you carry for future reference." 

"Excellent idea. But, if there's a brand you prefer that you don't see on our shelves, be certain to ask for me and I'll see if we can special order it." 

"I appreciate that." And she did. Courtney was being accommodating, friendly, and professional, and was definitely winning points in the customer service department. She suddenly had an amusing thought about testing said professionalism and decided to roll with it. "As a matter of fact, there is something I'm interested in. Would it possible for you to special order some lipstick from Entranced's Mesmerization line? Their Echoes of Rose shade, specifically." 

Courtney blinked at the oddly specific request but slowly shook her head. "I'm afraid that's impossible. The entire line of Entrance products are the exclusive property of Another Me Boutique located in downtown Seattle, Washington. Sales of their products are restricted to in-person visits only, presumably to maintain that exclusivity. No online or phone purchases are allowed. On top of that, every customer is limited to one shade per product, per visit, every two weeks, though their thorough consultation means that you will absolutely get the best and proper product on any visit." She gave Victoria an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid if you want that lipstick, you'll have to make a trip there yourself but be forewarned, the waiting list to get an appointment can be weeks long." 

Which Victoria already knew as her family owned the boutique in question but made a show of nodding in understanding. "Oh well. It was worth a shot." And informed her that Courtney really did know her stuff, another point in her favor. "In that case, I'll leave you to the rest of your day." 

"Before you go," Courtney interjected, "could I take a moment and ask you a question?" 

"Certainly." 

"What prompted you think of that particular product and shade?" 

"Simple: you're wearing it." Victoria grinned as Courtney blinked at her, stunned. "I hope to see you around." 

* * *

Courtney watched, dumbfounded, as the tall (and positively alluring) blonde turned and walked out of her store. How the hell did she know, from sight alone, what specific brand lipstick she was wearing? She wasn't sure but one thing was absolutely certain: there was no way that Victoria was from around here. Courtney herself had been on Another Me's waiting list for two _months_ before she was able to visit (a much-deserved splurge to mark her promotion to district manager). Anyone who could accurately identify this makeup had to be either a member of Another Me's clientele or knew a member quite intimately. And there was no way they'd be caught dead at a town like Pelican. 

So, what the hell was Victoria doing here? Because she didn't belong, that was certain. Oh, sure, Victoria was dressed like a local but her clothing was still painfully new and hadn't been broken in yet. Was she on vacation? Maybe. But then again, Victoria's clothing did carry slight smudges of dirt, and her hair did have tiny flecks of what might have been leaves in it. That meant she was actually working and it had to be here, since she said she just moved here on Sunday. Perhaps she was a landscaper for high-priced clientele, like she'd seen on HGTV, and was working on a personal project? 

But that didn't explain her demeanor. No landscaper held that much poise, that much professionalism, and hid so much of themselves that well, only revealing exactly what she wanted others to see when she wanted them to see it. Because now that she was thinking about it, Courtney couldn't get much of a read on Victoria at all. In fact, if she had to compare Victoria's behavior to anyone, she'd be forced to choose her own, and she had years of training. Did that mean that Victoria had similar training in the past? 

So, what Courtney had here was an outsider, once a trained professional in her field (whatever that was), probably from money, likely from Seattle, who had moved to Pelican Town recently for reasons all her own and was now working the land in some capacity, perhaps as a landscaper. A walking collection of contrasts, but a rather intriguing one. 

And incredibly beautiful, too. Can't forget that. 

Bottom line: who was Victoria? Courtney had no idea but she was determined to find out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Similar to Alyssa's chapter, there's not a lot of in-depth stuff here, so I do apologize for that. Mainly, this chapter is to introduce Courtney to the story, a consummate professional and the closest thing to a professional peer that Victoria has in Pelican Town. I have no plans to make Courtney the soft "villain" of the story in the manner that Morris was in the game, however, so no worries there. I also have their second meeting in mind, after Courtney does some digging and discovers that the tall and gorgeous blonde woman who visited her store is Victoria _Chase_.
> 
> I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for your continued support with this story. It does mean a lot to me that you're enjoying it. I'm doing what I can to keep things light and carefree, too. Whenever I'm planning out a future scene, I always ask myself, "Can I insert the Law & Order DUN DUN sound effect here?" If I can, and it's **not** ironic, I go back and change things. ;-)
> 
> Right now, chapter 7 is another Juliet-focused chapter, chapter 8 introduces Steph to Victoria, and chapter 9 is still being planned but looks like another visit to Alyssa is taking place there for reasons that will become apparent soon. After this, there could be a moment that Victoria encounters someone knew, perhaps Max, perhaps Rachel, though I haven't nailed down any specifics yet. All plans subject to change, of course, but I did want to give everyone a bit of a rundown on where things might be headed.
> 
> Updated cast list:
> 
>   * Alyssa replaces Clint, lives alone
>   * Taylor replaces Gunther, lives alone
>   * Courtney replaces Morris, lives outside of Pelican Town
> I'll continue to add more as they come. In the meantime, take care of yourselves out there!



	7. Juliet - I, Spy

Victoria was pleased. When she talked to Pierre about his furniture catalogue, she was informed that just about everything inside could be ordered and delivered right to her door in just a few days. "If there's an issue with inventory, they'll happily refund you that portion of the purchase the following day, though in all my years here, I've never had anyone run into that problem."

"Perfect. In that case, I'd like to place an order right away."

"Certainly. What are you interested in?"

And so, Victoria placed an order for a futon (having a couch that could double as a bed seemed wise), a coffee table, another end table, and a couple of lamps. She didn't bother with a new TV as the one she already had was large enough, if outdated, and had her doubts she'd be watching much of it in the days to come, anyway. When Pierre asked if she was expecting visitors, she replied, "It never hurts to have places for company to sit should it come necessary. And my home is sorely lacking in adequate seating."

Once she was finished with the furniture, Victoria started shopping for groceries. Knowing that Pierre's was closed tomorrow, she decided to stock up on enough to last a couple of days. Despite having shopped here once already, she took her time browsing, basing her selections on the simplicity of the directions on the back of each package and can since her cooking skills were admittedly sub-par. Worse case scenario and she wound up burning all of it, she could always hit up the Saloon for her meals.

Making her way to the small refrigerated section, she selected a couple of salad kits that she hoped would taste okay, then grabbed a small bottle of Italian dressing to go with them. She noticed there was a distinct lack of fresh produce both here and at the JojaMart, a deficiency she hoped to rectify once her farm was up and running. But right as she was turning to head to the front counter to check out, Juliet popped up right next to her, holding a couple of jars.

"Since you already have a loaf of bread and jam, it might be a good idea to grab some peanut butter," she said, giving both jars a slight shake. "Has a long shelf-life and if you're feeling peckish, you can whip up a PB&J super quick."

"Good idea," Victoria said with a slight nod. "Thank you."

"Of course!" Juliet beamed. "Now, the big question is, smooth or chunky?"

"Smooth, please."

"Perfect." Juliet placed said jar right in Victoria's basket. "Anything else?"

"Since you seem to have all the good ideas, what do you think?" Victoria asked with a smile, lifting her shopping basket to show its contents to Juliet.

Who took a careful look inside, then did some mental math. "Depending on your preference, you could get some ground beef for a simple Bolognese sauce or perhaps some Italian sausage. But fish would also go good with what you have, too. So, if you like seafood, we could take a short trip to the docks and visit Brooke. She runs the fish market there and actually catches all the seafood herself, so you know it's fresh."

"Seafood sounds like a great idea," Victoria replied, "though I'll have to do that tomorrow, after I look up how to actually cook fish."

"Oh?" Juliet replaced the jar of chunky peanut butter back on the shelf and followed Victoria to front counter. "You don't know how?"

"No," Victoria said with a shake of her head as she off-loaded her basket onto the counter. "Not counting my success with scrambled eggs yesterday, I don't have much experience with cooking, and I'd rather not burn a nice filet in my ignorance."

Juliet snapped her fingers. "Wait right here. I have the perfect thing for you." Victoria watched as Juliet hurried down one aisle, scanned the shelf, grabbed a book, then came back. "Give this a looksie."

Victoria took the book and read the title out loud. " _How to Boil Water and Other Complicated Recipes For the Absolute Beginner_." She lifted her gaze and smirked. "If this wasn't so painfully accurate, I'd be tempted to feel insulted." She chuckled at Juliet's giggle, then handed the book to Pierre. "Go ahead and ring this up, too, please."

"Of course," he agreed easily. "Once you get a chance to read through the book, though, if you discover everything's too basic and you don't actually need it, bring it back and I'll refund you."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Cash or charge?"

* * *

As before, Juliet and Victoria walked side-by-side back to the latter's farmhouse, both carrying a reusable grocery bag (Pelican Town did everything they could to reduce waste), with Juliet chatting the entire time about this and that. Victoria really didn't need the help this time around but, thanks to her book, had learned that saying so outright might come across as rude and ungrateful. And it wasn't like she didn't enjoy the girl's company. In fact, part of her hoped that shopping together could be come a regular thing though she had no idea how to make that happen. "Thanks again for the help."

"You're welcome!" Juliet took a couple of large steps ahead of Victoria and spun around to face her, a bright smile on her face. "Glad to be of service."

Victoria smiled in return as Juliet spun back around to rejoin her side. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Hmm?" Juliet glanced at her in what Victoria assumed was her most guileless expression possible. "What do you mean?"

"You're nowhere as sneaky as you think," Victoria said, keeping her voice gentle to make sure Juliet knew she wasn't being cruel or accusatory. "I've been around enough people to know when someone's trying to probe for information. So, what's up?"

"Well, crap." Juliet had a grin on her face, though. "I was hoping I was getting better at that but you saw right through me. Am I that obvious?"

"Not really. I just happen to have bitter experience on my side."

"Oh?" Juliet gave Victoria a careful look before nodding slowly. "Oh. Okay, gotcha. And you're not ready to talk about it so I shouldn't ask. Understood."

"No offense."

"No, it's all good. I've been getting a lot better at figuring out when's a good time to ask and when it's better to leave things alone. Sometimes I forget, though, so if I mess up, tell me and I'll apologize."

"I appreciate it," Victoria said as she and Juliet approached the farmhouse, taking a moment to wipe their feet on the welcome mat. "Come on in," Victoria invited as she opened her front door.

"Thanks."

As before, the two went to the kitchen/dining area and started putting the various groceries away. "Okay, so, going back to what's on my mind, first off, let me say that I didn't mean to spy on you. It just kind of happened by accident."

Victoria blinked as she put away the peanut butter. "That's an odd way to start things off. What do you mean, exactly?"

"Twenty minutes ago, before you went to dad's, I was watching the JojaMart like I sometimes do and saw you through the glass doors, talking to the manager there. I was wondering what might be going on and if you were buying stuff from them rather than us.

"I'll admit I was about to get upset because the manager has been pretty aggressive with selling JojaMart memberships to everyone in town," Juliet continued, "but when you left, I saw you weren't carrying anything. So, obviously, you didn't buy anything there and so I was trying to figure _that_ out, too. But before I could come up with any working theories, you went to our place and started actually shopping with us. And now, I'm just confused."

None of that was what Victoria expected at all, but she appreciated Juliet's honesty. "So, if you weren't intending to spy on me, what were you doing there?"

"I was actually trying to spy on JojaMart but got distracted when I saw you."

"And why are you trying to spy on them?"

"Well, ignoring all the nasty things I've read online that Joja Corp is mixed up with, a lot of which I'm sure is just rumor, slander, and hearsay, I've been trying to figure out why they set up shop here of all places. I mean, isn't Pelican Town kind of small to support a store like that? I may not have access to their budget books but there's no way that place can actually be profitable. There just aren't enough people here to support it and we don't get out of town visitors regularly enough that could supplement their potential income." Juliet handed over the last item and folded the cloth shopping bag up. "So, what gives?"

Victoria nodded, having thought the same things earlier. "Very smart thinking. You've obviously done your homework."

"Thanks!" Juliet said with a bright smile.

"And how has your investigation been going so far?"

Juliet rapidly deflated. "Sadly, nowhere. I just can't get any good intel from anyone. The cashier doesn't ever talk. She just shows up to do her job and leaves right after. And she's not a local, so it's not like I can grill her for info after work. I've tried talking to her a couple of times but I really don't think she likes gay people. The manager, Courtney, comes in early and works late but doesn't allow visitors after hours. She's answered some of my questions in the past and was super polite about everything but nowadays, won't let me loiter inside unless I'm actually buying something. I've been tempted to do that just to ask more questions but I don't want to betray my dad by shopping there. Dana works part-time as a stock girl and offered to help, but I'd never ask her to jeopardize her job by trying to dig for dirt. One time, I tried talking to the truck drivers who deliver and remove stock to and from the store once a week but they didn't give me the time of day. And my allowance is too small for me to bribe them."

She hadn't just done her homework, Victoria thought to herself. Juliet was doing a lot of legwork, too. Of course, having a mega-corporation like Joja plant itself in your backyard and threaten your family's very livelihood would likely drive anyone to action but Juliet wasn't fighting it in the expected way of protests or online petitions. She was _digging_. Victoria wasn't certain how she could help directly but she could at least give the budding investigator a new direction to try. "Have you tried speaking to the janitorial staff?" she offered. "Traditionally, janitors have access to nearly every room in their given building. They tend to see all and know all, especially if they work during the day, because overhear everything. The foolish and unwise ignore them, considering people like that beneath their notice, and so are prone to talk way too much when they're nearby." She closed her cabinet door and turned to face Juliet. "Depending on how they're treated by the managerial staff here, they could be convinced to talk quite easily, though if Courtney does treat them with respect, they'll likely be tighter lipped."

"I..." Juliet blinked at Victoria, then slowly smiled. "Damn. That's such a good idea. Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Juliet put a finger to her chin as she thought. "Of course, now I have to find out when the janitorial staff shows up. I've never seen them the few times I staked out the place."

"It's entirely possible that the cleaning crew only needs to show up once or twice a week and as a result, they may have odd hours, perhaps early morning or late evening. You might have to consume a massive amount of caffeine in your quest to find out."

"That, I can handle," Juliet replied with a wave of her hand. "I don't mind throwing off my sleep schedule for the sake of finding the truth. I'll also check with Dana, see if she'd noticed them showing up during her shifts."

"Good idea. But just be prepared to be disappointed, too. If they don't actually know anything, you'll be right back to square one."

Juliet shrugged. "Since that's where I'm at now, I'll take my chances. Better to try and not get anything than remain in the dark."

"Fair point."

Leaning against the dining room table, Juliet couldn't help but smile, incredibly grateful to Victoria giving her a new angle of approach in her investigation. She really, really wanted to do something nice for her as a way of saying thank you but didn't have any ideas. But when she saw Victoria reopen one of the cabinet doors and take out a jar of peanut butter, she had her answer in an instant. "You haven't eaten lunch yet, right?"

"Not yet. I was thinking I'd borrow your idea and make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before getting started on the rest of today's chores."

Juliet stepped away from the table and, without thinking too much about it, reached out to take Victoria's free hand in both of hers. "In that case, let me whip up something for you for lunch instead, as a way of thanking you for your awesome idea. I may not be a whiz in the kitchen like my mom but I know a few things and it'll be a much heartier lunch than just a PB&J." She gave Victoria a wide smile. "What do you say?"

Victoria wasn't certain if she should accept the rather generous offer. On one hand, she and Juliet barely knew each other and cooking a meal for someone seemed like a pretty substantial leap forward in the friendship department. But on the other hand was Juliet's hands! They were doing a fine job in short-circuiting Victoria's brain, as was the smile that was aimed at her. _Damn_ , she was so fucking gay. She had to fight the insane impulse to lean forward and find out what Juliet's lips tasted like but thankfully, had plenty of experience in quashing her more base desires. Instead, she smiled. "I'll agree on two conditions. First, you make enough for yourself, too, so we can eat together. And second, walk me through whatever steps you take so I can try it myself later."

"Deal!" After giving Victoria's hand a squeeze, Juliet let go and started rummaging through the cabinets that had just been filled. "I'm going to go with a pasta dish. About as basic as you can get since it's pretty much boiling water, just with some stuff inside." She turned to Victoria and gave her a little grin. "Ready to take some notes?"

"Ready and willing," Victoria said with a smile, setting the peanut butter aside and pulling out her cell phone.

"Cool. Then, let's begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way I had things planned out originally had this entire chapter reduced to just half of a sentence:  
> "After finishing shopping at Pierre's and eating some lunch, Victoria went to her barn to inspect her yard tools."
> 
> The problem was, it felt like too big of a jump and when I got to thinking about it, also a wasted opportunity of have some further interactions with one of the girls. Juliet was my pick as I didn't really want to introduce a new girl yet (namely, Dana), while Stella, Alyssa, Taylor, and Courtney wouldn't really have a good enough reason to be wandering around outside. Once I made that decision, I opted to introduce Juliet's investigative leanings but in a way that made sense for the setting. I hope it worked!
> 
> For my readers who have played Stardew Valley, I'll admit that Victoria's home is based on the first house upgrade rather than the starting cabin since I needed her to have the extra space. For those who haven't played the game, just know the starting cabin is just large enough to hold a bed, an end table, and a TV, and that's it. No kitchen, no bathroom (though the latter is missing everywhere). Yes, there's food, recipes, and eating to restore energy/stamina and health but as it's not a survival game, there's no daily requirement to eat anything, and you can typically find enough stuff in the wild, like berries, that you can eat if needed. Personally, since I like the cooking mechanic, I blitz to get the first house upgrade so that I can do so.
> 
> Coming up next: Steph! And, Victoria makes her first friend.


	8. The Nurse Practitioner, Steph

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If interested, you may hit me up on my Tumblr page, <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

The preparation and cooking of lunch went really well. Juliet took each step methodically, explaining as she went, and always had an answer to any questions Victoria asked. Victoria, in the meantime, took lots of notes, watched the proceedings carefully, and tried really hard not to squeal in delight. Because she absolutely caught Juliet's offhand "I really don't think she likes gay people" comment and the realization that there were not one but two (possibly) available girls in Pelican Town was seriously threatening her composure.

Patience, she told herself. Yes, Juliet was attractive and yes, she said she was gay, but there was no guarantee that she was into Victoria. They didn't know each other that well (though they were actively working on that, chatting as they were over their meal), and it was very probable that Juliet was just this nice. Pelican Town was small, after all, and she wouldn't be surprised if Juliet regularly visited her friends and cooked for them, too. So, as nice as this was, it likely it didn't mean anything. Best not get her hopes up.

"That pasta primavera was delicious," Victoria said as she wiped her mouth on a napkin. "Thanks again for cooking."

Juliet beamed at the compliment. "You're welcome! I was hoping it'd taste okay since I had to improvise with the veggies a bit. It really is better with fresh ones."

"Much better than okay, trust me." Victoria smiled. "And I'm hoping that once I get the farm up and running, I'll be able to help with the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables."

"Personally, I can't wait and I know that everyone else can't, either." Juliet motioned to her empty plate. "So, you think you'll be able to imitate the steps and make yourself some pasta later?"

"I believe so." Victoria tapped a finger against the back of her cell phone where it rested on the table. "I took enough notes, I think, and your steps were incredibly easy to follow. I'll also start reading that cookbook tonight and compare it to what you explained."

"Think you'll have time with all the work you'll be doing on the farm?" Juliet asked. "'Cause if not, I wouldn't mind stopping by to cook lunch for you again."

And there was that niceness again. "I appreciate the offer," Victoria replied, "but for now, I'm going to need the practice. After all, I want to get to the point where I can cook for you, too."

"I'm looking forward to it," Juliet replied, a bright smile blossoming on her face.

When Victoria stood from the table and gathered her dirty dishes, Juliet followed suit, then surprised her when she stepped right up to the sink to help out with the cleaning, too. Victoria tried to protest, saying that cooking was more than enough, but the younger girl quieted her protests with an easy, "I don't mind! Friends are supposed help each other out."

And just like that, Victoria had a friend. Which, wow. That easy? Just like that? Seriously? She spent the next 10 minutes in a partial state of confusion, washing dishes while Juliet rinsed, only half-listening to the girl as she chatted, trying to figure that out. Was it normal to make a friend this quickly? Should it bother her that this was making her ridiculously happy? She was _so_ going to research this in her book later tonight!

With the two working together, clean up was over quickly. "You're pretty handy to have around," joked Victoria as Juliet shook out a rag over the trash can. "Thanks, again, for the help."

"You're welcome again," Juliet replied, feeling giddy. She was discovering she really liked it when Victoria gave her compliments. "So, just out of curiosity, what's your plan for the rest of the day?"

"I need to inspect the rest of my yard tools for damage," Victoria answered. "When I tried chopping some of the fallen logs around the property earlier, the handle wound up snapping because it was in such bad shape."

"Oh, no!" Juliet gasped. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?"

Victoria shook her head. "Thankfully, no. But after I dropped off the axe at Alyssa's to get fixed, she advised me to inspect the rest of my tools before using them as none of them have been maintained in years."

"Makes sense. And I'm glad you're okay." Juliet shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her desire to stick around (Victoria was just so great to talk to!) warring with her need to not overstay her welcome. "Well, I'd better leave you to it. I'm gonna head back home, see if dad needs me for anything."

"Of course," Victoria said as she and Juliet left the house. "You take care."

"You, too." Juliet practically skipped down the front steps before turning and waving. "See ya!"

After taking a moment to once again admire how the girl's skirt rippled and flowed as she walked away (down, girl), Victoria made her way to the old barn, which lay just beyond the decrepit greenhouse on her property. She wasn't 100% sure due to the condition it was in but she had a feeling the greenhouse hadn't collapsed but rather had only been partially constructed before being abandoned. Having one would be a great addition to the farm, so she'd have to look into getting it repaired, but that would have to wait until much later.

Victoria she stepped up to the barn door, eased it open, and stepped inside. When she inspected it earlier, she was surprised at how clean it was, relatively speaking. There hadn't been any animals inside for quite some time so any possible odor was long gone. No hay anywhere, which was good since, according to her book, that stuff could rot if left alone for too long. The floor was hard-packed dirt and devoid of any grass, a good thing since that meant no weirdly placed weeds or the odd tree growing where it shouldn't. A look to the ceiling didn't show any light streaming in from holes, a definite plus. Even if she didn't have any animals inside and her car had a cover over it, it was never a good idea to have a leaky ceiling.

The building itself seemed to be in good shape, though she was no carpenter. She should probably find Robin and ask if she could stop by and inspect the structural integrity of the building, make certain it wasn't one windy day from collapsing on top of her car. She made a mental note to do exactly that. But for now, she had some tools to inspect and went to the wall where everything was hanging.

Victoria didn't notice anything wrong with the shovel and yard rake she used yesterday but then again, she didn't know what to look for. Now that she was examining them closely, though, she could tell that several tools did have issues. Thankfully, the lawn rake seemed fine, as did the spade, but the pickaxe did have a sizable crack running down the length of the handle, so it was probably a good thing she never had a chance to use it yet. The axe head at least buried itself into the fallen log when the handle snapped. If the same thing happened to the pickaxe while she used it, who knows what could've happened?

The pitchfork made her grimace. It was absolutely coated in rust, to the point that she couldn't tell if it was even salvageable. Her scythe looked intact but one of the handles was so loose, she was afraid it would pop free with one swing. Way too dangerous to consider using. Several of the short-handled tools, like the trowel, looked completely fine, though when she picked one up, the rubber grip fell apart in her hand, completely dry-rotted.

Well, great.

Could Alyssa fix everything? Maybe. Probably. How much would it cost her? She wasn't sure but wouldn't be surprised if her tools alone would pay Alyssa's rent for the next month. Only one way to find out, though the thought of seeing her again so soon certainly wasn't a bad one. And who knows? Maybe she could even ask Alyssa to demonstrate a task, like sharpening the scythe, and she'd get to watch those rippling muscles in action. The thought made her snicker and, unfortunately, distracted her for one crucial moment.

"OW! SONOFA--"

Victoria, not paying attention to where she was reaching, accidentally scraped her left forearm across a rusty tine of a long-handled cultivator hanging on the wall, prongs pointing out. She instinctively jerked her arm back, and as a result, scraped herself a second time, this time drawing blood. Cursing her fucking stupidity, she immediately whipped out her (thankfully clean) bandanna from her back pocket and covered the wound, then hurried out of the barn and back to her house, mentally berating herself the entire time.

Once inside, she immediately went to the sink to wash and dress her wound with her first aid kit but quickly discovered the cut was a lot longer than she thought. She didn't really have the means, or the extra set of hands, to dress it properly. She didn't panic, though, since she knew exactly what to do. Once she bandaged her arm as best she could, she washed her hands, grabbed her wallet, and made her way back to town and to the clinic she had seen next to Pierre's.

* * *

Steph was manning the front counter of Harvey's clinic going through some paperwork when the front door opened. She looked up with a smile and said, "Good aft--" Seeing someone walk in with a makeshift bandage on her arm interrupted her normal greeting and she immediately pointed down the hall. "This way, please. Room two. I'll be right there."

"Thanks," Victoria replied, already feeling more at ease with how quickly she was being seen. She stepped inside the indicated room, holding her left arm against her chest, and hopped up onto the examination table. She had barely gotten herself settled when the girl from before (tanned complexion, reddish/brownish hair, full lips, blue eyes filled with concern) stepped inside and immediately went the sink.

"Doctor Harvey's with another patient so at the moment, it'll just be me helping you," Steph said as she thoroughly washed her hands. "But don't worry, Victoria. I'm a Nurse Practitioner and have been working here for a couple of years now. I'll take good care of you."

"I appreciate it," Victoria replied. "But you do have me at a disadvantage."

"How so?" Steph asked as she dried her hands.

"You know my name but I don't know yours."

Steph blinked at that, then smiled. "Sorry. I'm Stephanie but please, call me Steph."

"Steph it is."

"Coolness. Any latex allergies?" Steph asked as she stepped over to the boxes of gloves mounted on a wall.

"No. Last time I checked, I'm not actually allergic to anything. No food, no medicine or antibiotics, or anything else for that matter."

"Good to know," was Steph's reply as she tugged on a pair of gloves. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened?" she asked, reaching for Victoria's arm.

"I was examining my tools in my barn to see which ones I might have to take to Alyssa, didn't pay attention to where I was reaching, and scraped the shit out of myself against a cultivator."

"A what now?" Steph asked as she carefully untied the bandanna.

"Bent pitchfork," Victoria clarified.

"Ah, gotcha," Steph said as she carefully pulled the bandanna away. "Didn't know it had a real name."

"To be honest, I didn't either until I looked it up in a book."

Steph glanced up and grinned. "Self-taught farmer?"

Victoria snorted softly. "Is that really a surprise? I figure word's already gotten around about that."

"Oh, it has, but I always prefer getting my info straight from the source," Steph said, examining the gauze Victoria managed to apply to her wound.

"You don't trust Juliet?" Victoria asked, making an educated guess about who might've been talking about her recently.

"Absolutely. But that doesn't change the fact that going along like I already know you comes across as rude, if not creepy."

Victoria had to nod at that. "Fair point."

Steph removed one glove and used her now free hand to take some supplies out of a drawer. "The good news is the bleeding's almost completely stopped, which indicates the laceration, though long, is rather shallow. I'll remove the gauze, smart thinking by the way, clean and disinfect the wound, then bandage it back up." She reached for a fresh glove and started tugging it on. "I'll give you some care instructions when we're all done but in essence, you're going to want to keep everything clean for a few days."

"Meaning, no digging around the farm for a while."

"I'm afraid so," Steph said with an apologetic smile as she very carefully lifted the gauze away from Victoria's arm. "But only for a little bit. This'll be healed up in no time."

Victoria grunted at that. The knowledge that she was going to be delayed in getting everything up and running sucked major ass. Some farmer she was turning out to be. No, a few days wasn't disastrous but that didn't change the fact that if she had paid more attention to her surroundings, none of this shit would've happened.

Steph watched Victoria's mood plummet as she tore open one of the disinfectant wipes. "This is going to sting a bit," she warned softly.

Victoria snapped back to the present and looked to Steph. "I'm ready."

With a nod, Steph got to work, cleaning the wound and the surrounding area gently yet thoroughly. It was interesting watching Victoria throughout the process. She barely reacted to anything, choosing instead to withdraw into her own head, though not like Max did. Judging by the frown on Victoria's face, she was likely berating herself for getting hurt in the first place.

Wanting to lighten the mood, Steph decided to take a page from the Book of Calming Chloe Down. "Y'know, I think you're too brave."

It took a second for Steph's words to register but when they did, Victoria blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?" That sentence made absolutely no sense to her whatsoever.

Steph opened the second disinfectant wipe and got to work. "A lot of my patients, if they were to come to me with wound like this, there'd be an awful lot of tears, perhaps even a fainting spell or two. But you? You haven't reacted at all." She finished up and smiled at Victoria. "So I guess that means you won't need a lollipop. Which is shame because we have some good ones."

A moment later, a smile broke out on Victoria's face. "Oh, for fuck's sake," she managed right before laughing heartily, foul mood effectively shattered. "A lollipop? Seriously?"

"Hey, don't knock them until you've tried them," Steph replied with a grin as she applied some antibiotic cream over the wound. "Caroline make them fresh and they're really good. We try to keep some on hand for all of our patients but somehow, they keep disappearing."

"And I take it you don't have a hand in that?"

"I plead the fifth."

Victoria shook her head, still grinning. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, hold your arm steady, please," Steph said, lifting Victoria's arm until it was parallel to the floor. "Like that. Perfect." She placed fresh gauze along the length of the wound, then expertly wound a bandage around everything to hold it in place. "You did well, with your makeshift bandage, keeping pressure applied to the wound, and coming straight here. Nice work."

"Thanks. My parents always insisted that we, my siblings and myself, knew how to take care of ourselves. I suppose the lessons stuck."

"I suppose so," Steph agreed with a smile, then started gathering up all the trash. "I already told you the good news. Ready for the bad?"

"Lay it on me."

"Two things: first, even as shallow as this wound is, it might leave a bit of a scar."

Victoria shrugged at that. "When I took on the task of taking over Grandpa's farm, it was with the expectation of getting some cuts, bruises, and scrapes. Working the land isn't without its risks." She motioned to her arm. "Just didn't think it'd happen on day two, that's all."

"At least you prepped yourself," Steph said, impressed that Victoria didn't even blink at the possibility of a scar. She had grit, that's for damned sure. "There are a few methods you can use to minimize any possible scars which I'll be happy to go over with you once we're all done here," she said as she threw away the garbage into their respective bins.

"Appreciate it. Now, what's the second bit of bad news?"

"How rusty was that cultivator you scraped against?"

"Pretty bad," Victoria recalled. "I figure that Alyssa's going to have a field day with all the tools I'll be bringing her."

Steph chuckled. "I'm sure she will. But bearing that in mind, when's the last time you had a tetanus shot?"

"I'm not actually sure," Victoria replied after a moment. "Maybe high school, though."

"Then I highly recommend we get you a booster today. Best not to take any chances." Steph gave Victoria a smile. "You're not afraid of needles, are you?"

Victoria smirked. "If I say yes, will I get a lollipop?"

Steph laughed as she peeled off her gloves and threw them away. "You sit tight and I'll be right back."

In short order, Victoria had received her shot, was declared hail and hearty, then escorted back to the front counter where she could finally fill out all the necessary paperwork all doctors required as well as purchase some replacement bandages and whatnot for when it came time to change the dressing. The lull in activity gave Steph an opportunity to focus on Victoria the Woman rather than Victoria the Patient. And damn, she liked what she saw! It wasn't necessarily a looks thing, though Victoria was certainly no slouch in that department. Rather, it was her poise, her confidence, and the air of mystery that surrounded her (who was she? what was she like?) that made her intriguing. Was it any wonder that Juliet and Stella both talked so positively about her already?

"I appreciate you taking care of me and so quickly," Victoria said as filled out the last bit of paperwork. "I know that this is supposed to be done prior to getting aid."

"Well, in a town of just over two dozen people, it's ludicrously easy to keep track of everyone. And it's not like we can't just knock on everyone's doors for payment, either, though to date, that's never actually come up. Dr. Harvey's really good at keeping things affordable and he accepts pretty much any kind of insurance."

"He watches out for everyone, then?"

"We all do in some way," Steph stated with pride. "It's one of the main reasons I came back home after getting my degree. Where I was, things felt too impersonal and unfriendly. Here, we have a true community and it always feels like I belong."

Victoria handed the clipboard of paperwork to Steph. "That I can definitely understand."

Steph heard the weight in Victoria's words and, before she could stop herself, reached out and gave Victoria's hand a soft pat. "Sounds like there's a story there. You doing okay?"

"Yeah," Victoria said, a soft smile growing on her face. "Now I am. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Steph said as she withdrew her hand. "But, hey, if you ever want to hang out, maybe vent a bit, let me know. We can hit up the Saloon, shoot some pool, swap war stories, all that."

Before Victoria could think, her mouth took on a mind of its own and responded. "How about tonight, then? Since I definitely won't be working late on the farm for the next few days," she said, motioning to her bandaged arm.

Steph grinned at the easy acceptance. "Is 6:00 okay? I get off at 5:00 and that'll give me plenty of time to get home, get changed, and walk back to town."

"6:00 is perfect." Victoria reached forward and the pair shook hands. "See you then, Steph."

"Likewise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In anyone out there reading this is actually a trained med tech, nurse, doctor, or other medical professional who knows way more than me when it comes to treating an injury and you notice some glaring issues here, please, have mercy. I didn't mean it, I swear!
> 
> See, Victoria did catch what Juliet said last chapter! As for the rest, there's a common trope I've seen in a million places, where the obviously gay girl can't see the other obviously gay girl crushing on her. Personally, I find it rather amusing so it tends to appear in all my stories, though I do what I can to avoid dragging it out for too long. I'll play it up for a chuckle or two, then either hit Girl A over the head with the clue stick or have Girl B outright admit her feelings, then shift things to the next level.
> 
> So, who's Girl A and Girl B in this scenario? I suppose we'll just have to wait to find out!
> 
> I had always planned to have Victoria meet Steph in the clinic but in my earliest draft, it was a cut across her palm that did it. I rapidly changed the nature of the injury, though, since I didn't want Victoria to actually need stitches. That would take Victoria out of commission for a really long time, which would negatively affect the timeline and story. Same with having something drop on her foot. So, I finally settled on something relatively simple, though just bad enough to require help.
> 
> Coming up next: gay panic!


	9. Alyssa - That's a Lot of Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever I share [my link to my Tumblr page](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/), I always feel like saying, "Please, comment, like, and subscribe!" like I'm a YouTuber or something.

Victoria stepped out from the clinic, patched up and ready to continue on with the rest of her day. She gave a friendly wave to Jodi and Caroline, who were chatting in the town square, then started back to her farm. As always, she was the very picture of calm and collected.

On the outside. Inside, however, Victoria was screaming. Just what the fuck was she thinking back there?! That was the problem: she _wasn't_ thinking. Somehow, her mouth disengaged from her brain and started spouting words that managed to form coherent sentences and accepted an invitation to dinner from a total (utterly attractive) stranger. Tonight! Now what the fuck was she supposed to do??

Well, go to dinner, obviously. Unexpected as this was, Victoria wasn't about to back out and miss the opportunity to enjoy a meal with a cute girl. So, when the time came, she was going to get herself cleaned up, get changed, and have a pleasant dinner with Steph. And, just like the other girl had suggested, they would hang out, shoot some pool (though she didn't know how), and swap a war story or three. It'd be nice to get to know more people in town, especially those close to her age, and maybe, just maybe, make a new friend in the process. After all, it went really well with Juliet, right?

Right. So yeah, two girls just hanging out, chatting.

Over dinner.

Together.

Yeah.

...

OH MY GOD WAS THIS A DATE?!?!??!!

Victoria tripped over her own two feet at the thought, barely catching herself from eating dirt right as she entered her property. Once she regained her footing, she hurried inside her house, locked the door behind her, clamored onto her bed, buried her face in her pillow, and finally verbalized the internal scream that had been going nearly non-stop since leaving the clinic.

Ah, the wonders of a good, long scream.

Once that was out of her system, Victoria took a nice, long, deep breath and slowly let it out. She stood and set her pillow back in its proper place, once again the picture of calm and collected. Glancing at her left arm, she stripped off her short sleeved shirt and pulled on a long sleeved one instead, not only to help keep the bandage clean, but to also hide it from view. It wasn't a vanity thing, really, but more of a "keep the questions to a minimum" thing.

Redressed for the day, Victoria grabbed her work gloves, left the house, and made her way back to the barn. She wanted to get all of her tools to Alyssa's before the blacksmith closed up shop for the day. To that end, she very carefully loaded up her wheelbarrow with every tool she had, even the ones that looked in decent shape (though she did take a moment to glare venomously at the cultivator). Using a length of old rope she found, she bundled all the longer handles together so none of the tools would flop all over the place, then pushed the wheelbarrow outside. She closed the barn door, grabbed hold of the wheelbarrow, and started her journey back to town.

* * *

Alyssa glanced up from her work when the little bell above her door rang and blinked. "Didn't expect to see you back again so soon," she said as Victoria entered her shop, now sporting a long-sleeved t-shirt.

"Trust me, neither did I," Victoria said with a slight shrug. "But I ran into a complication. Can I get you to look at something real quick?"

"Sure." Setting down her metal file, Alyssa doffed her gloves and walked outside to join Victoria. And let out a low whistle.

"Tell me about it," Victoria replied.

Alyssa stepped up to Victoria's wheelbarrow and took a look at all the rusty and ruined tools inside. The fact the wheelbarrow was practically brand new made the sorry state of the tools stand out even worse. "Damn. I expected you to come back with two, maybe three, but this looks like your whole shed."

"Barn," Victoria corrected automatically, then sighed. "I honestly didn't notice it at first because the two tools I used on Monday were in relatively good shape." She motioned with her hands. "Can you tell me if any of these salvageable or repairable?"

"Hmm." Alyssa reached down and unraveled the rope tied around the tools, then took hold of a flat-head shovel, shaking it free from the bundle. She examined the blade closely, rapped her knuckles against the metal a couple of times, and ran her hands down the length of the handle. "Yeah, I can definitely work with these." She turned to Victoria and pointed to the shovel head. "It's mostly surface rust, which can be sanded down pretty easily and a protective coat will help prevent future problems. It's best to replace the handle, though, since it's not in the best of shape, even if it looks intact."

Victoria watched as Alyssa set the shovel down and picked up the hoe. "How much do you figure it'll cost?"

"Less than it would replacing all of them, that's for sure, but with this many tools, it won't be cheap, either." Alyssa lowered the hoe and turned to Victoria. "You sure you want to drop them all off all at once? Might be easier on the wallet to stagger the repairs out a bit."

"I can handle the cost, so don't worry about that. And besides, I'm not going to be doing much in the way of yard work for a few days, anyway." Victoria reached for the cuff of her left sleeve and pulled it up enough to expose part of her bandage.

Alyssa winced in sympathy. "Ouch. What happened? Did you burn yourself?"

"Scraped it down the rusty end of that piece of crap," Victoria clarified, pointing to the offending tool in the wheelbarrow. "I'll be fine. Got my tetanus shot and all that from Steph. I'm just pissed off that I won't be able to continue getting the farm up and running like I want." She huffed out an annoyed breath, then took a moment to regain her calm. "I have to keep reminding myself it's just a few days and not the end of the world. But since I have to keep the wound and bandage clean for a few days, I won't be using these anyway, so I figured I'd take care of all of it in one fell swoop."

"Smart. I mean, it does suck wind that you won't be able to work for a bit, but considering this job will take a few days anyway, I suppose the timing all works out."

"That's what I was thinking, too."

Alyssa set the hoe down and lifted the scythe from the wheelbarrow. "Damn. This one's in really bad shape. Not your fault, but still." And to demonstrate her point, she flexed with both arms and snapped the handle right in two. "See? If this handle was in anything resembling decent shape, there'd be no way I could do that."

The casual display of strength had Victoria gently biting her bottom lip. Holy shit! She cleared her throat, then said, "No offense, but as ripped as you are, I fully expect you to rip tree trunks in half. A twig like that is nothing."

Alyssa blinked at the comment before throwing her head back and laughing mightily. "That's a new one! Oh, damn..." Shaking her head in amusement, Alyssa grabbed several of the tools and carried them inside. "I'll go ahead and add all of these to your ticket, make it all one big order," she said as she went back and forth. "Less paperwork that way. Oh, and you may as well leave your wheelbarrow here, too. I doubt you'll be using it the next few days and you'll need it to carry all these back once they're ready."

Victoria nodded as Alyssa grabbed the last of the tools and took them inside as well. "I appreciate it."

"No problem. And, alley-oop!" With that, Alyssa grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow, hoisted it upright, and brought it inside as well. She leaned it against the right-hand wall with a simple, "For safe keeping."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Alyssa turned and gave Victoria a once-over. "You gonna be okay, right? Nothing else hurt or broken?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thankfully, it was just the one scrape, which Steph said should heal up in no time."

"She's a miracle worker, all right," Alyssa stated as she walked back to her counter and withdrew a pad of paper. "So, what's the plan now that you have an unexpected few days off?"

"That's a damn good question," Victoria replied, watching as Alyssa started jotting down the names of every tool she brought it. "I haven't had a chance to explore all of Pelican Town yet so maybe I'll do that." She shrugged. "Maybe I'll break out my camera, try taking some shots."

Alyssa looked up at that. "You're a photographer?"

"Hardly," Victoria said with a small smile. "It's more of a hobby of mine I picked up in college as a way to pass the time whenever I had a free moment, though once I graduated, I had to leave it by the wayside as there was never any time to really delve into it."

"Then, you've certainly come to the right place," Alyssa said with a smile of her own. "Stardew Valley is very photogenic, with its mountains, forests, lakes, and a beach all within walking distance. I'm sure that you'll take some great photos. Just don't be surprised if you catch Max's attention in the process."

"Juliet mentioned her yesterday," Victoria stated, "and said she's a photographer, but also said she's incredibly shy. So, do you have any pointers if I do run into her? It's been years since I've spoken with anyone like that and I don't want to start off on the wrong foot."

"Hmm." Alyssa tapped her pencil against the pad of paper as she thought. "A couple of things. First, it's best to let her come to you. Think of her like a doe. Young, cute, very skittish, but very curious. She'll more than likely watch you from a distance, trying to figure out if it's safe to approach." She smiled. "If you see her doing that, just wave, maybe say hi, but don't be surprised if she scampers away or hides. That's just her way. But I have a feeling that if she sees you holding a camera, it might help her come to you a lot sooner.

"Second," she continued, "don't be offended if she doesn't maintain eye contact. Looking people in the eyes makes her really uncomfortable. She's always listening, though, so just talk to her like you would me or anyone else, even if you're looking at her ear, and eventually, you'll get along great. Just be mindful about what you say around her. She's sensitive to criticism and doesn't take well to teasing jokes or humor."

Victoria nodded. "Let her come to me, don't worry about eye contact, talk to her like a normal person, and don't be a raging cunt when I do. Got it."

Again, Alyssa laughed. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. But I'm sure you'll be fine. Though, a word of advice: if you run into Chloe, you'll want to take the complete opposite approach."

"Stella mentioned her, too," Victoria said. "Warned she was abrasive and has a bit of a mouth on her."

"And a major chip on her shoulder," Alyssa added, "but once you gain her respect, she'll treat you nicer. Maybe not better, just nicer."

"What does she look like, anyway? So I have my own attitude ready to go when I see her."

"I think I'd pay good money to see that," Alyssa said with a snicker. Man, it had been a while since she laughed so much! "Tall, about your height, actually, with short, strawberry blonde hair, black beanie, and combat boots. Sometimes carrying a backpack, sometimes wearing a leather jacket. Tattoo sleeve down her right arm with a skull motif. Think 'punk' and you pretty much nailed her."

Victoria smiled. "Tall punk, shy photographer, ripped blacksmith, cute investigative reporter, hot barkeep. Pelican Town really does have it all."

"You got that right!" Alyssa said, then stuck her hand out, which Victoria shook. "Thanks for all the laughs."

"You're welcome."

"And stop by after lunch on Friday," Alyssa said. "I'm pretty sure I'll be done with your tools by then."

"Will do. And thanks again for taking on the job."

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alyssa makes a reappearance and much quicker than I originally anticipated, but sometimes, that's just what happens when you're writing. Yes, maybe I could've advanced the clock a bit but I'm rather enjoying the more laid back pacing of this work and would rather not skip ahead until it's actually necessary.
> 
> Fans of Chloe, have no fear: she's definitely going to make an appearance after the not-date. I have a plan for her, too, that I'm hoping will go over well. No spoilers! But you'll get to see what I mean soon.
> 
> Wednesday will likely introduce Max and possibly Rachel, maybe Brooke as well. That will leave Kate and Dana for last. I'm still playing around with getting the right balance of introducing everyone individually and figuring out how they interact with one another whenever Victoria isn't around. Maybe there won't be "more partner-swapping than in a square dance" (thanks, Krash!) but in a town with as many delightfully gay girls as this, it would be impossible for them not to be with one another at some point. So, who's with who? As soon as I figure that out, I'll let you know!


	10. Victoria - Exploration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been written that I can sometimes be located at <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

Since she had the free time, Victoria decided to wander around and explore a bit after she left Alyssa's. Recalling a path she had seen that ran past the JojaMart, she opted to head in that direction once more. Crossing a small footbridge led her partly back to town, then to a set of steps which she climbed, discovering a rather large building that was in serious need of maintenance. Past the building she could see a small playground that looked fairly new and in good shape, most likely placed there for the two young kids she had seen earlier. To the right of the building was a well-traveled path up the mountain, which is where she continued her hike. 

Eventually, the path opened up to a plateau and a large, well-constructed home. A sign outside showed it was also Robin's carpentry shop. Figuring now was as good a time as any, she stepped inside and spoke with Robin, making arrangements for her to stop by tomorrow morning and inspect her barn. Since Robin appeared to be in the middle of another project, Victoria left soon after, not wanting to disturb her. 

To the east of Robin's home was an absolutely gorgeous mountain lake. With water so clear she could see the multitude of fish swimming there, tiny islands in the lake itself that were connected by wooden bridges to the west bank, and the numerous trees that dotted the area, Victoria could wholeheartedly agree with Alyssa: this was an extremely picturesque area. She may not have the skill to do it justice but she was definitely going to come back with her camera and try to take some shots. 

On the opposite side of the lake from Robin's, Victoria could see a rock quarry but unfortunately, the bridge that once spanned the dried river bed had long since collapsed. It was a pretty decent drop down, which made her curious as to what happened. Perhaps a quake had taken out the bridge while also blocking off the river? She really didn't know but found herself curious enough to look it up later. 

As Victoria made her way back around the lake, she saw a cave entrance that lay close to a building that had a large sign that read, "Adventurer's Guild," but decided not to explore either. The building, because she didn't consider herself an adventurer by a long shot. The cave, because it was marked by a sign that read "Here be monsters. Enter at your own risk." Her abrupt departure from city life notwithstanding, Victoria didn't consider herself a risk taker and, despite holding the equivalent of first dan black belt in hapkido (the Chase family's self-defense instructor wasn't much for formal ranks), didn't consider herself a fighter by any stretch of the imagination. 

Returning to her starting point, she made her way north of Robin's and found yet another set of steps, though these were carved out of the mountainside itself. Climbing them took some time but eventually, she reached another plateau that held, surprisingly enough, a set of railroad tracks that went from one tunnel to another, with a train platform on the far side. No station, though, which made Victoria wonder if everyone in town purchased their train tickets online and boarded here. She'd have to ask Mayor Lewis about the details later on. 

There was a pretty sizable thicket away from both the stairs and the railroad tracks and so, Victoria went to take a look. Circling the area, she found a small gap in the trees and bushes and when she entered, was delighted to find a natural hot spring completely hidden from view. It was obviously being used by someone, judging by the ashtray she saw stashed beneath one of the bushes but the fact the foliage was trimmed on this side indicated that whoever was using this place, they at least kept it maintained. She wondered who it might be and made a mental note to ask Steph about it tonight.

And speaking of Steph, Victoria checked her cell phone. Yes, she still had plenty of time. She carefully extracted herself from the thicket and made her way back down the stone steps and to Robin's. Instead of taking her original path back down the mountain, though, she turned to the wide path that lay to the west. According to what Robin had said during their brief conversation, it led back to her farm and practically to her front door. Robin had used it back in the day to transport lumber and materials via truck to construct her home, with some help from Papa Chase. She had warned that the path hadn't been maintained for quite some time but was likely still serviceable. 

As Victoria made her way back to her farm, she noticed that while the path was a bit overgrown, it appeared that someone had done some trimming of the bushes and trees that lined either side, judging by the detritus she saw. Perhaps it was the same person who maintained the hot spring? If so, it was probable that same someone was using this path to get to and from the hot spring, which meant they were walking through her farm to get there. She wasn't sure what to make of that but after thinking about it, came to the conclusion that if this mysterious person was willing to keep the path and the thicket trimmed of their own accord, they probably weren't an axe murderer. Probably. She'd likely run into said person at some point and would make a final determination then. 

Finally reaching her home, she wiped her boots on her welcome mat, stepped inside, then locked the door behind her. After removing her boots, she made her way to her bathroom and started the water in the tub. All that hiking had worked up quite a bit of sweat, enough to warrant a shower before heading to dinner. But since she was well ahead of schedule, she decided she was going to take a bath instead. 

Several minutes later found Victoria luxuriating in a steaming bubble bath. And yes, she was woman enough to admit she still liked bubble baths versus Epsom salts or whatever adults were _supposed_ to use. Sure, the label on the bottle said it was Foaming Restorative Bathing Wash (she snickered as she imagined someone in marketing trying to say that with a completely straight face) but the veritable mountain of foam she cupped in her hands before placing it on her head in an imitation of a beehive hairdo was proof positive that it was, indeed, bubble bath stuff. It was one of the few "childish" indulgences she allowed herself and, in the privacy of her own home, reveled in it. Yes, she made certain to scrub herself clean. Yes, she made certain her legs were free from stubble. And yes, when she finally finished soaking and stood up, she made certain to use said bubbles to make herself a pointy bra, _à la_ Madonna. Silly, sure, but dammit, her home, her bath, her rules. And right now, her rules said to sing and dance as the water drained away before finally rinsing off the suds and bubble bra under the shower. 

Once she had dried off, put on some deodorant, replaced her bandages, and applied lotion to her legs, hands, and face, she ran into a bit of a dilemma: what should she wear to dinner? She didn't really want to just throw on another pair of jeans and a t-shirt but didn't want to get too dressed up, either. After all, while this wasn't a date (nope, no, uh-uh, impossible, too soon, absolutely not), there was no reason to dress slovenly. That wasn't the Chase way and it certainly wasn't Victoria's. 

She spent an awfully long time dithering (jeans and a blouse? slacks and a button shirt?) before finally settling on a matching pale blue bra and panty set, modest length black skirt, and nude hose, but rather than a blouse, which she felt was a bit much, slipped into another long-sleeved shirt that was similar to the one she had worn for half the day. She felt her attire was a nice balance between casual and not while also giving her an opportunity to wear a skirt once more, which would likely be much rarer in the weeks to come. The application of light makeup, like she had worn yesterday, coupled with her pearl stud earrings and she was set. 

As for shoes, she chose a pair of black, fold-over cuff ankle boots with 2 1/2" heels. It was one of the very few sets of strictly fashion shoes that had survived the purge, when she had gotten rid of a ton of unnecessary stuff, especially her footwear as most of her shoes would be completely impractical on a farm, if not downright useless. The heels on these boots were broad rather than the stiletto heels of most of her other shoes, meaning there was little fear of getting stuck in ground. Plus, she really liked these boots. 

Grabbing her purse and phone, she double-checked the time and nodded. Still had plenty of time. In fact, she'd likely arrive at the saloon right at 6:00, which was perfect. She didn't believe in being fashionably late to anything, much less a not-date. And so, without further ado, Victoria left her house, locked up behind her, and started towards town. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first finished this draft, it occurred to me that I could easily not post it as there is no dialogue here, no advancing any plot threads, nothing substantial at all, really. But, dammit, I really liked what I put down so I'm including it. To me, exploring the locales in _Stardew Valley_ comes part and parcel with playing the game, so I wanted to have a touch of that here.
> 
> For those who have played Stardew Valley, you may have noticed the spa is missing. This is intentional. I have a long-term plan for the story that will likely include the construction of the spa at a later date, but I also needed a reason for why a spa would be built exactly there. Hence, a natural hot spring.
> 
> Victoria being a bit goofy while in private is something that just came to me as I typed, but I enjoyed adding this aspect to her character. I envision that she spent most of her time after graduating college being very serious, very focused, and very adult, and just not being very happy. Bubble baths were her time to just let loose and be a kid again, even if only for a few minutes. Could Victoria learn to let loose more as time goes on? I suppose that depends if Stella decides to hold a karaoke contest in the future. ;-P
> 
> Anyway, since this chapter feels more than a bit short to me, I'm going to try and upload chapter 11 today as well. And considering today's date, Valentine's Day, I think it'll be quite appropriate.


	11. Victoria - Not-Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day, I won't open a chapter with [a link to my Tumblr page](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/). Alas, today is not that day.

Victoria reached the Stardrop Saloon a smidgen before 6:00, which was perfect. Letting herself inside, she immediately caught sight of Steph standing at the bar chatting with Alyssa, who was seated on a stool with a drink in front of her, and Stella, who was behind the bar. The three turned when the front door opened and gave Victoria a wave as she approached. 

Stella was the first to greet Victoria with a friendly, "Good evening." 

"Good evening to you, too," Victoria replied, then turned to Alyssa and Steph. "And to the both of you." 

"Hey there, yourself," Steph greeted, smiling. "I have to say, you're looking really nice." 

"Thank you. It's not too much, I hope? I spent a long time trying to find the right combination of casual and not too dressy." 

Alyssa smirked and poked Steph in the side, making her jerk away. "Considering this one was just telling us about how she did the same thing, I think you're good." 

"Really?" Victoria gave Steph a once-over and took in her attire: really nice jeans, practically brand new hiking boots, a form-fitting red shirt with a scoop neckline, a dragon pendant necklace, some light makeup, and an off-white beanie with a flame embroidered to one side. She could tell that Steph was trying not to squirm under the scrutiny and smiled to alleviate her burgeoning nervousness. "Then, I suppose that great minds think alike. You look good." 

"Thanks." Steph cleared her throat and motioned to a table that lay close to the arcade area. "Shall we?" 

"Certainly." As they took their seats, Victoria was scrambling to recall everything she had read about small talk. Dammit, she should've brushed up on her book instead of belting out tunes! "It seems kind of quiet here today. Is that normal for a Tuesday?" 

"Yeah, actually. I mean, there are regulars. Pam's here practically every night," Steph said nodding towards the woman at the end of the bar, "and so is Mayor Lewis. He said he eats breakfast and lunch at home but always eats dinner here." She gave the Mayor a small wave, which he returned with a smile. 

Victoria did the same. "To help support the local business, I take it?" 

"That, and Stella's food is really good," Steph answered. "She runs this place all by herself, with Dana helping out in the kitchen from time to time." 

"Juliet mentioned her, though I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her yet." 

Steph grinned. "Dana's a great friend. Fun to hang around, loves sports, and can get pretty competitive in whatever she's doing, though she's never mean about it. She just loves a challenge. She's gotten pretty good at pool so beware." 

"I've seen others play in the past, though I haven't actually tried it myself." 

"Then, when we're done eating, I'll show you how. If you're interested?" 

"Sounds fun. Thanks." Victoria turned to Stella when she walked up to the table. "Steph was just complimenting your skills in the kitchen and said you run the saloon all by yourself. Nice work." 

Stella smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. Sometimes, it can get pretty busy but fortunately, everyone here is really understanding that this is pretty much a one-woman business. Dana puts in some hours every now and then, especially on Fridays since that's my busiest day. And sometimes, Chloe will help out, too." 

"That's news to me," Steph said with a blink. "She finally learn to cook?" 

"Hardly. But she'll do some cleaning for me if I ask really nicely." 

"And by asking nicely, you mean, give her a burger," Steph said knowingly. 

"Exactly." Stella grinned before she turned her attention to Victoria. "It's been said that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. That also goes for Chloe. So, if you ever need to get on her good side, offer her a meal." 

"I'll keep that in mind," Victoria replied, "especially if I need to hire her for any sort of repair work." 

"She's practically MacGuyver when it comes to patch jobs," Steph said with a nod, "but she also knows how to do proper repairs, too. Plumbing, electrical, mechanics, she can do it all. 

"She's great with her hands, all right." Stella gave the pair a playful smile. "Just sayin'. Anyway, what'll it be tonight?" she asked, pulling out her pocket notepad. 

Victoria turned her attention to the question at hand. "Well, since I had the pizza yesterday, I'm thinking I'd like to sample some other dishes you have. Any recommendations?" 

"If you like fish, I got a fresh halibut from Brooke this morning." She held up her hands to indicate its size. "About yea big. I've gotten several nice filets out of it that will go nicely with a rice pilaf." 

"That sounds really good," Victoria said with a small nod. 

"Same," Steph told Stella, "and whatever juice you think goes well with it." 

"Got it. And for your drink?" Stella asked Victoria. 

"Just water, thank you." 

"All right. Anything else?" 

"Maybe." Victoria turned to Steph. "Do you like garlic bread?" 

Steph smiled. "Only if it's Stella's. She makes the best on the planet." 

"I agree." Victoria turned to Stella. "An order of garlic bread, please." 

"Coming right up." 

The evening continued rather pleasantly, with Victoria and Steph chatting and getting to know one another, Victoria enjoying herself immensely. Steph was an interesting person, having gone to school to become a nurse's assistant, registered nurse, and finally, a nurse practitioner. She had originally wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a scientist but found that she liked helping people directly, so switched fields. When she moved back to Pelican, she was hired by Harvey in a New York Minute and had been working there ever since. 

Steph, in turn, discovered that Victoria comes from a well-to-do family (though Victoria had downplayed her family's wealth, not wanting to intimidate or come across as bragging) whose mother doted on all her children and whose father fought hard to break the stereotype of the never-present dad, and that she and her siblings were expected to work the family business. Sadly, the pressure Victoria was under proved too much and she found herself hating it more and more. Thankfully, she discovered Papa Chase's letter to her, along with the title and deed for the farm. 

"And how are you liking the small town lifestyle versus city life?" Steph asked. 

"I'm still adjusting," Victoria admitted, "but, even considering this is only my third day here, I already love it. The atmosphere, the friendliness, the nature, it's just what I needed. And I'm incredibly happy to find a lot of girls in my age group here, too." 

Steph leaned forward and said, "And us girls are all incredibly happy to have someone new to speak with, too," her voice playfully conspiratorial. 

"Oh?" Victoria smiled. "Were things dull around here before I showed up?" 

"Nah. More like, everyone can't wait to talk to you, see what you're like. Not a single person here wouldn't mind making a new friend." 

"That's something I wouldn't mind, either." 

As they continued their meal, one thing that Victoria noticed was how easily Steph got her friends to join in their conversation, even if only a couple of minutes. Alyssa, when she finished her own meal and was about to depart, had been invited to sit and share a story about an arm wrestling contest she had won quite handily at the Stardew Valley Fair a few years back. Victoria found herself laughing heartily at the tale, especially when Alyssa explained that the resident strongman, upon his defeat, dropped to one knee and proposed to her on the spot. 

"He wasn't serious, of course," Alyssa said, smiling at the recollection. "Just playing the crowd, who ate it up. But he did ask me to reveal the secret behind my prodigious strength." 

"And your answer was...?" 

"Spinach." Alyssa smiled when Victoria laughed again. "I wore two fake anchor tattoos on each forearm for a week afterwards, courtesy of Kate." 

"Who, I would imagine, enjoyed drawing them on you," Steph stated with a grin. 

"I can't say either way, but she did spend an awful lot of time getting the details just right," Alyssa concluded. "And who am I to interrupt an artist at work?" 

Stella wasn't able to join them at the table as, even on a slow day, she had her saloon to run but Steph would ask her to share an anecdote or two whenever she stopped by to check on them. This was how Victoria found out that Stella was incredibly skilled at pool. "I practice a _lot_ during my off time," she explained. 

"I suppose this means I shouldn't be challenging you to a contest anytime soon," Victoria said with a smile. 

"Not unless you want to wind up like Dana," Steph replied with a small laugh. 

"I wouldn't do that to someone who's never played before," Stella protested. "It wouldn't be fair." 

"So, what happened with Dana?" Victoria asked. 

"She'd been practicing a lot, too, and thought she could finally win against Stella. So, she challenged her to a match." 

"And the stakes?" 

"Started off simple at first," Stella answered. "One free meal versus one hour of free labor. When she lost, she asked for best two out of three: three meals against three hours of labor." 

"And when she lost that round, she went one more," Steph said, her smile growing wide. "But then, Stella really upped the ante." 

"Valentine's Day was coming up soon, so I bet her an entire week of free food against an entire day of free labor, except she'd have to wear an outfit of my choosing. I chose a Playboy Bunny outfit." Stella grinned at Victoria's snort of amusement. "To her credit, she gave it her all and did win the next round, but lost the fourth." 

"Did she go through with it?" 

"Oh, yeah," Steph said with a nod. "She may not like losing but she won't renege on a bet. So, come Valentine's Day, she wore the costume and worked her shift." She grinned. "And got a lot of tips." 

"I bet," Victoria said with a smile. 

"Did you enjoy the meal?" Stella asked, motioning to the table. 

"It's the best halibut I've ever tasted," Victoria said with the confidence of someone who had eaten at some of the top seafood restaurants in Seattle. 

"That makes me incredibly glad to hear. I'll be sure to tell Brooke as well." Stella reached down and started gathering their dishes. "Are either of you thinking dessert?" 

Steph and Victoria glanced at each other, then back to Stella. "Not tonight," Victoria replied, "but thank you." 

"Of course." 

With their meal concluded, the pair paid for their meals, freshened up in the restroom, then made their way to the arcade room where Steph spent the next hour teaching Victoria how to shoot pool, who discovered she rather liked the game. She could definitely see herself playing more in the future, though she swore she'd never try challenging Stella. Holy crap she wasn't kidding when she said she practiced a lot! She had stopped in at one point, took a look at the table, and offered to get Victoria out of a tight spot. She shot exactly one time and managed to somehow curve the cue ball around one ball to strike another right into the pocket. Victoria was damn impressed. 

It was close to 8:00 when Victoria decided it was time to head back home. Not that she didn't have a good time, but as all of this was still new to her (being sociable, (possibly) making new friends, being in a new town), she wanted some time to herself to just absorb the day's events. Uncertain how to say this in a roundabout way, she opted to be straightforward with Steph, who, thankfully, didn't even blink. 

"I totally get that," she said, with an easy smile. "I was like that, too, when I moved back home after graduating." 

"Thanks for being understanding," Victoria said, relieved. 

"But, you had a good time tonight, right?" 

"Definitely," Victoria said, putting her cue back into the rack. "We'll have to do this again sometime." 

Steph smiled. "Coolness. Too bad you're leaving now, though. Dana's getting off from work soon and heads here afterwards for dinner and some pool. Juliet, too." 

That gave Victoria pause. "Really tempting, I'll admit, but we'll have to challenge them to a round later." 

"I'm looking forward to it." Uncertain if Victoria would be comfortable accepting a hug (she had just admitted to needing time to decompress as all of this was still very new to her), Steph instead reached out and gave Victoria's hand a soft pat, like she had earlier at the clinic. "Take care of yourself, okay?" 

"I will," Victoria replied warmly. "Have a good night." 

“You, too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in time for Valentine's Day: the not terribly romantic not-date! This chapter had actually gone through several iterations before finally becoming what you see before you. At first, I focused the "camera" on Steph, Alyssa, and Stella all chatting but the conversation just wasn't flowing well. Then, during the not-date itself, conversation kept getting bogged down by various minutia. There was so much more I had to cut but will likely appear later on in a future chapter.
> 
> I purposely kept things rather low-key here as far as romantic prospects are concerned but all the other hints that were dropped? Believe me, Victoria noticed. And as Jokulhaup stated in the comments of chapter 8, at some point, she's going to question the if there really is something in the water at Pelican. XD
> 
> Coming up next: Chloe makes her triumphant return to Pelican Town!


	12. The Punk, Chloe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is coming way earlier than I anticipated but, honestly, I couldn't wait to share it. Hope no one minds!
> 
> Oh, and if you're [in the mood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CI-0E_jses), come visit me on my Tumblr page, <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

Chloe gave Pelican Town's bus stop sign a soft pat as she walked passed, the familiar landmark bringing a small smile to her face. She'd been absent for a while but, considering the date, she just had to get away. What she didn't anticipate, though, was just how much she'd miss Pelican and all her friends. It was honestly the first time that had happened but, after thinking about it, felt it was a good sign: she was healing. And, perhaps, she could finally let go.

Walking down the short gravel path that led away from the road, she reached the T-intersection that would take her back to town, then carefully slid her heavy pack off her shoulders. She'd been walking for miles and needed a short break. She stretched mightily, groaning in delight has her back popped in several places, before stretching her neck left, then right. Relaxing, she leaned over and rummaged around her pack, withdrawing a mostly depleted pack of smokes and her lighter. Knowing she wouldn't get a chance to light up once she reached town, she was about to fish out a cigarette when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

Turning her head, Chloe blinked at the unexpected sight. A girl. An _unfamiliar_ girl at that. Tall. Blonde hair cut pixie short. Skirt. Legs. Ankle boots. _Damn_ hot. But, who the hell was she and what the hell was she doing here? No way this dolled up goddess belonged in Pelican Town, that's for damned sure. She was walking with purpose, though, so she definitely wasn't lost. The problem was there were only two destinations she could be headed: the bus stop or the old Chase place, and the latter was impossible. Place had been abandoned for years with only the mayor visiting on occasion. So, was this woman trying to catch the bus? Better give her the bad news. "Dunno if you're aware," Chloe stated as the blonde approached, "but the bus to Zuzu won't be by for another hour." She nodded back down the path. "Best bet is to head back to town and wait it out in the Saloon."

The blonde slowed to a stop and turned to face Chloe. "I appreciate the information but I'm not here to catch the bus."

"Oh? So, where're you headed, then?"

"Home," the woman replied simply with a slight nod towards the direction of the old Chase farm.

Chloe blinked. "Seriously? That was old Papa Chase's place. It's been empty for years."

"And it's mine now. Papa Chase, as you know him, was my grandfather."

"No shit?" Chloe gave the woman a once-over and couldn't help but smirk. "Let me guess: you're gonna turn it into a spa or some shit? 'Cause there's no way on God's Green Earth you're a farmer."

"We'll just see about that," was the woman's cool response.

Chloe's grin widened. "Yeah, whatever. I'll believe it when I see it." She raised the cigarette to her lips and was about to light it when she caught the expression on the woman's face. "What's the matter, princess? Too delicate for the vices of the common man?"

Irritation flashed in the woman's eyes and Chloe braced herself for what would likely be an amusing tirade. She, therefore, was caught off-guard when the woman stepped forward and well inside her personal space, plucked the cigarette right from her fingers, and placed it between her (perfectly rosy) lips, all while maintaining eye contact. Then, still not looking away, she reached down, wrapped her hand around Chloe's, then brought the lighter up and used her thumb to flick the flame to life. She lit the cigarette, took a step back, and inhaled. "Jesus," she complained as she exhaled. "Fucking Camels? Seriously? I figured you'd at least have some taste but apparently, I was mistaken."

Chloe couldn't help but grin. Hot damn, this woman was fierce! "You smoke, then?"

"Nope." The woman took in another breath, blew the smoke to the sky, then held the cigarette at her side. "Don't smoke, can't drink you under the table, and absolutely couldn't wipe the floor with your sorry ass in hand-to-hand."

Oh, now dem was fightin' words. Chloe leaned forward. "Is that so, princess? You want to go a round, then?" She smirked and very obviously gave her a once-over. "Or maybe you'd rather challenge me to a wrestling match. Your place." She waggled her eyebrows. "Whaddya say?"

Instead of storming away in a huff or calling her a pig like Chloe expected, the girl completely and utterly surprised her by giving her a slow, sultry smile. She sauntered forward and once again stepped well inside Chloe's personal space, though this time, she didn't stop until their bodies were practically flush against one another, her heels giving her a slight height advantage.

With a touch to the chin, the woman (goddess) tilted Chloe's head up a fraction to gaze into her eyes. "A wrestling match, hmm?" she teased, her voice low and throaty. Her gaze flicked to Chloe's lips, then back to her eyes. "That does sound... appealing." She head tilted forward a fraction, her lips coming tantalizingly close to Chloe's, who gulped at the proximity. But right when she was certain she was going to find out how those (gorgeous) lips tasted, she felt a cigarette being popped in her mouth instead.

"But I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass," the woman said with a smirk, stepping backwards and putting some distance between them. "Perhaps some other time, Chloe."

"Wha--" was Chloe's rather intelligent reply before she plucked the cigarette from her lips. "Wait, how'd you know my name?"

"Easy: everyone told me to be on the lookout for an abrasive bitch with a mouth. Who else could you be?" The woman turned and started walking towards the old Chase place. "See you around, slick," she said with a slight wave of her hand.

"C'mon, you gotta give me your name at least," Chloe said to the woman's back.

The woman glanced over her shoulder, still smirking. "I'm certain you'll figure it out soon enough."

Chloe watched the woman walk away, admiring her ass and hips, before she shook her head. "Well, I'll be damned." Whoever she was, she was the first person who'd ever beaten Chloe at her own game, and fuck, was that hot! She grinned, then brought the cigarette to her lips and took in a breath, only to abruptly remember where it'd been last. She pulled the cigarette from her mouth and looked but didn't see any lipstick stains on the filter, which meant that the woman (goddess) had to be wearing some high-quality shit.

Hauling her pack back on, Chloe took one last puff of nicotine before crushing out the cigarette on a nearby fence post. She didn't drop the butt to the ground, though. After all, she might be crass, she might be rude, but she definitely wasn't a litter bug. She'd chuck it into a trash can when she got to town.

* * *

Stella had finished wiping downs all the tables and was hovering just inside the arcade area, chatting with her friends, when she heard the front door open. She turned to greet whoever it was, then broke out into a wide smile. "Chloe!"

Chloe grinned as she slid her pack from her shoulders again, then caught Stella in a huge hug as she dashed forward. Chloe lifted she shorter girl off the ground and gave her a small spin. "Starlight, starbright, the best star I've seen tonight."

Stella giggled as Chloe set her back down and gave her a warm kiss. "It's so good to see you again. And what's this?" She reached up and brushed her fingers through Chloe's hair that was peeking out beneath her beanie.

"Ah! Yeah, check it out." Chloe tugged her beanie free and revealed her brand new blue hair. "Decided I wanted a change. Whatcha think?"

"Wow." This came from Dana as she and everyone else stepped from the arcade to surround their friend. "Damn. It's a change all right but I gotta admit, blue's a good color for you."

"She's right," Steph agreed. "Somehow, it just fits."

"Thanks."

Dana then stepped forward and wrapped Chloe in a fierce hug. "It's been nearly three weeks, girl."

"I know, I know," Chloe said, giving Dana's back a couple of hearty claps. "Just had to get away for a while."

"Totally get that." Dana stepped back and let Juliet get her hug in. "But we missed you."

Chloe let go of Juliet, then leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "And I missed you guys, too. More than I thought I would. Guess that means you'll be seeing more of me nowadays."

"Good," Juliet said, giving Chloe a firm poke in the stomach, grinning as the taller girl staggered back like she was punched.

"You're looking good," Steph said with a smile, looking Chloe over. "And I'm not just talking about the hair. No new scars that I can see, no makeshift bandages, no limp. Does that mean you didn't find any trouble this time?"

"I never go looking for trouble, dude. Trouble finds me."

"That's what you always say," Steph said with a snort, then stepped up to give Chloe a hug. "Seriously, how're you doing?" she whispered in Chloe's ear.

"Tell you later," was Chloe's equally soft reply before she stepped back. "God, I'm starved. What's on the menu tonight, Star? And don't worry, I can pay."

"This time, it's on me," Stella replied with a smile. "And I'll make your favorite: double bacon cheese burger with extra pickles and a side of fries."

"And a nice, tall, cold beer?" Chloe asked hopefully.

"And a nice, tall, cold _water_ ," Stella countered. "You've been walking for miles. You need the fluids."

"Dammit. Fine. But I won't be happy about it."

Everyone laughed at that before Stella pointed back to the arcade. "Take a load off. I'll be back shortly."

"I'll give you a hand," Dana said, stepping towards Stella. "It'll go quicker with two people."

"Appreciate it."

20 minutes later found most everyone in the arcade area, shooting the breeze while shooting some pool. All the girls were eager to hear about the fantastic adventures of Chloe, who was sure to embellish things for the sake of storytelling, but were also eager to tell her all about the new girl in town.

"So, _that_ was Victoria," Chloe said, her voice contemplative.

Steph finished her shot and looked up. "I take it you ran into her?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. At the bus stop." Chloe grinned. "And damn, let me tell you she's no dainty princess. Definitely a queen."

"Don't tell me you were an ass to her," Juliet said disapprovingly.

"When have I ever..." Chloe trailed off as everyone turned as one to give her The Look. "Fine, fine. I _may_ have implied that I didn't believe her when she said she had taken over Papa Chase's farm, which she may or may not have taken offense to. But, she fired right back, tit for tat, without missing a beat. Didn't even blink."

Steph saw the sparkle in Chloe's eyes and grinned. "Intrigued, I take it?"

Chloe pointed at her. "You said it, not me. That gives me plausible deniability. I know my rights."

"You're not under arrest," Stella said, having stopped by once more. "Though if you want, I can break out the handcuffs you got for my birthday a couple of years ago, read you your rights."

"Only if you frisk me nice and slow."

Dana shook her head, smiling. "I'm going to have to meet Victoria soon. Everyone keeps talking about her and I feel like I'm missing out."

Juliet wrapped her arms around Dana's waist, giving her a hug. "I think you'd like her. She's smart, dedicated, and serious about her farm even if she's completely inexperienced, but she's more than willing to put in the hard work to learn."

"Not one of those privileged, pretentious types, then?" Dana had her fill of that kind of girl back in school.

"She came from that background," Steph replied, "but she's definitely not that kind of person. We talked a bit about it over dinner," she explained when everyone looked to her, curious. "I told her a bit about my family so she reciprocated. She's got three siblings, an eldest brother, older sister, and twin brother, all of who work for the family business. Then gave me permission to share that with anyone who asked." She smiled. "She knew everyone would be curious to know more, being the new person in town. And since we didn't talk about anything confidential, saw no reason not to share."

"Oh, crap," Juliet said, letting go of Dana. "I should've probably asked her permission, too."

"Just ask her the next time you see her," Steph advised. "I have a feeling she won't be phased by anything you've shared so far, though."

"I hope so. We had such a good time at lunch, I really don't want her to hate me."

"Absolutely impossible," Dana said, leaning over to give Juliet a kiss on the temple. "You're too sweet and too earnest to hate."

"Sounds like you're describing Kate instead of me," Juliet said with a grin.

"No reason why we can't have two sweet and earnest girls in Pelican."

Conversation continued for quite some time, with Stella going back and forth as needed, though as it was rather slow, there wasn't a lot to actually do except refill Pam's drink. When Stella started cleaning up, everyone decided to pitch in to help, ignoring her soft protests that they didn't have to. They weren't just going to sit idly by and watch her work, though. They were all friends and friends helped each other.

Stella wound up closing an hour early, but that was normal for a slow day. She happily gave out hugs and kisses to her friends as they left, bidding them all a find goodnight, with one exception.

"God, it's been a day," Chloe said, stretching mightily as Stella locked up and turned out the lights.

"I bet," was Stella's reply. "All that walking you must've done, I'm surprised you were able to stay up as long as you did."

"Definitely feeling it now but I'll be damned if I'm going to bed before taking a shower." Chloe paused. "That still okay?"

Stella stepped up to Chloe and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "You don't even have to ask. Just save some hot water for me."

"Not gonna join me, help wash my back?" Chloe asked, waggling her eyebrows at Stella, then laughed when she was playfully shoved aside.

"Maybe next time, you cad. I still have to balance tonight's till, and Tuesday is when I do inventory."

"Gotcha. I suppose that's a good thing, though, since I don't think I have it in me for a round or two of some lovin'. Just, keep that between you and me, okay?"

"Your secret's safe with me, Don Juan."

Once all her work was done, Stella took her turn in the bathroom, getting clean and ready for bed. She padded her way to her darkened bedroom to find Chloe already laying on her side under the covers, fast asleep. She smiled softly at the sight. There was something a bit different about Chloe tonight, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but if she had to haphazard a guess, she'd say that she seemed... less moody? Intense? Angry? It was difficult to say for certain since Chloe was always on her best behavior when surrounded by friends but if that really was the case, it could only be a good thing.

After plugging in her cellphone to her charger and setting it on her nightstand, Stella carefully lifted the covers and slid into bed, trying not to disturb her sleeping guest/friend/sometimes lover. She turned to her side, back to Chloe, and relaxed. A moment later, she was completely unsurprised to feel Chloe's arm wrap around her waist. "Sorry I woke you," she whispered as Chloe tugged her close.

"Mmm," was Chloe's sleepy reply as she snuggled close. "Wasn asleep. Jus restin' my eyes."

Stella smirked. "Right."

"Waitin' for you," Chloe mumbled. "Missed this. Missed you."

"I missed you, too," Stella said, shifting slightly to rest her arm atop Chloe's. "We all did. Thank you for coming back." Chloe failed to reply verbally but the lips Stella felt on the back of her head brought a smile to her face. She entwined her fingers with Chloe's and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Get some sleep. I'll make you breakfast tomorrow."

"Mmm..." was Chloe's barely cognizant reply as she drifted to sleep, Stella joining her minutes later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, everyone's favorite blue-haired punk makes it into the story. Yes, her hair be blue! I wasn't going to fundamentally change that about her, not without explanation, anyway. My goal here was to make her borderline unlikable at first, as this Chloe, though a bit mellower compared to how she was prior to the story's beginning, still hasn't figured out that first impressions do matter. Fortunately for all parties involved, Victoria's more than capable of dishing out her own attitude to match, something hinted at in chapter 9.
> 
> This chapter also marks the first concrete evidence that yes, these lovely ladies have been with one another in the past, though the extent of that has yet to be hashed out precisely. She's definitely not shy when it comes to physical affection, not like she is in canon, though she's also older than she is in the game and this is a different setting, so I decided to have a bit of fun with her, make her more open about who she shares her body with. Her heart? That's a bit of a different story, though as hinted at in this chapter, that, too, may change.
> 
> She has a close relationship with a lot of the girls, Stella especially, whose home is always open to her when she's in town. Stella does tease her about her wanton ways from time to time, though always in good fun.
> 
> While I don't plan to have too many chapters that focus on others instead of Victoria, this one is a special case. I needed to have the story from Chloe's eyes at the very beginning, as it made the impact of meeting Victoria for the first time that much more intense. Technically speaking, I could've ended the chapter as soon as Victoria walked away but I honestly had too much fun writing out the rest of the scene, with a mini-homecoming for Chloe at the Saloon, and showing all of you, my dear and wonderful readers, that these girls have relationships with one another outside of what Victoria sees. As time goes on, we'll see more and more the intricate web of friendships and relationships that they all have with each other and how Victoria will eventually fit into it as well.
> 
> Coming up next: haven't quite decided, honestly, though I'm heavily leaning towards introducing Brooke, as Wednesday morning is a good opportunity for Victoria to take a walk to the beach to try her hand and snapping some photos of the ocean. Whether or not I decide to do that, though, won't change that she'll be meeting Max very soon and likely Rachel as well. I do have a specific plan for our blonde bombshell, though, that I hope makes her as intriguing as (hopefully) Chloe was here.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	13. The Shy Girl, Max

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a bit of a risk posting this before I run it through my admittedly anal-retentive proofing process but honestly, I rather liked what I did, so why not?
> 
> I occasionally post amusing drivel here, if you're interested: <https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/>

Wednesday morning found Victoria up bright and early, walking inside her barn with Robin as the carpenter inspected the building. After checking out the framing, Robin used the folding ladder she brought in her UTV to climb to the rafters to examine several joists, the beams, and the ceiling. Outside, she used the ladder to climb to the roof, checking it in several spots, before finally returning to ground level, with Victoria bracing the ladder as she climbed down.

"Thanks for the help."

"You're welcome," Victoria replied, dusting off her hands as Robin eased the ladder to its side, then began folding it back up. "So, what's the verdict?"

"Overall, despite its age, your barn's in great shape. The roof doesn't show any bad spots and the frame work is solid. The walls could stand to be replaced as they are pretty weathered but nothing is on the verge of collapsing, so you can stand to hold off on that until later." Robin lifted the ladder and loaded it in the bed of her UTV. "Papa Chase spared no expense in its construction."

"Did you have a hand at building it?" Victoria asked, curious.

"No, actually," Robin replied as she strapped the ladder down so it wouldn't slide around. "He already had it built by the time I moved to Pelican. I did, however, build new cupboards for him when the originals wore out." She turned and gave Victoria a smile. "I build my stuff to last but if anything starts breaking, you let me know."

"I will. Lord knows I'd have no idea how to repair it." Victoria motioned to the barn. "What do I owe you?"

"Inspections are free of charge," Robin said, "but you let me know whenever you're ready to replace those barn walls and I'll get you a fair quote."

"I really appreciate it." Victoria stuck out her hand for a handshake. "Thank you for stopping by."

Robin shook her hand with a friendly smile. "You're welcome."

* * *

Once Robin had departed, driving her UTV back up the mountain pass that Victoria used yesterday, the up and coming farmer went back inside her house to enjoy a light breakfast of buttered toast with jam and coffee. She half-listened to the local news as she ate, amused that one of the things included in the program was a daily horoscope reading. Apparently, today was a good day to expect visitors, so Welwick reminded their listeners to brush up on their hospitality. Which was fine advice even without the benefit of predicting the future, she thought to herself.

After the dishes were washed and placed in the drying rack, Victoria went back to her bedroom and retrieved her old camera case. She had tested everything last night, making certain the batteries were fully charged, the SD card was formatted and ready to go, and that the lenses were clean. While her camera wasn't top-of-the-line, it was a pretty solid one and had served her well, back when she had the free time to engage in her hobby. She was a bit rusty, though, and could only hope that she'd be able to do her surroundings justice.

Stepping from her home, Victoria quickly decided to head south instead of east. She hadn't explored that area of the valley yet and was curious as to what she'd find. And so, camera ready, she did precisely that. And promptly fell in love once more.

An animal ranch. A beautiful forest. A small lake or large pond with a pier that extended a third of the way into the water. A gentle river. A small, well-constructed home. What looked like a wizard's tower with vines creeping up the side. Wildflowers and wildlife. God, it was gorgeous.

Victoria took her time wandering around, snapping photo after photo of anything and everything that caught her eye. It felt good, to get out and about like this, and engage in her beloved hobby. She actually enjoyed photography a lot more than she had implied when she spoke to Alyssa but just couldn't devote the necessary time it took to get really good at it while she was in school. Her focus was on business management and accounting, while also taking other courses that would benefit her future in the corporate world. Which meant that photography took a back seat and was eventually forgotten.

But here and now, a lot of those long-neglected skills were coming back. Yes, she was pretty rusty, but she had plenty of time and tons of space on her SD card, so the occasional mistake didn't bother her. After all, how else was she going to learn?

She wasn't sure how much time had passed but was brought out of her zone by the snapping of a twig. Blinking, she turned and caught sight of a girl (brunette, freckles, blue eyes wide with surprise, absolutely adorable) hovering about 15 to 20 feet away. Victoria quickly deduced that this was most likely Max and, remembering Alyssa's advice, gave her an easy smile. "Good morning."

The girl didn't respond verbally. Instead, she ducked her head and shuffled behind a nearby tree, exactly how Alyssa said she'd behave. She wasn't actually hiding, though, as her hoodie sleeve was still clearly visible. While it was apparent she wasn't anywhere close to being ready to engage in conversation, Victoria made a snap decision to speak up. "I'll be taking a lot more photos for the next little while. Should you wish to join me, I certainly wouldn't mind the company."

Non-committal, no-pressure invitation delivered, Victoria turned back to her camera, pointed it straight up, adjusted the focus, and snapped a shot of the sunlight streaming through the tree leaves. She continued on her slow, meandering journey, taking photo after photo, though she was well aware of her new company. Max, it appeared, really was curious, though whether she was more interested in knowing about Victoria or the camera she held was still up for debate. Eh, no matter. She'd approach when she was ready.

Eventually, Victoria took a seat on an old tree stump, wanting to review the photos she had taken so far. She scrolled through them one at a time, deleting the ones that, even on the small screen, looked like crap. Thankfully, there were very few of those, something that make her smile. Perhaps she wasn't as bad at this as she thought.

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned and gave Max, who was still half-hiding behind a nearby tree, a friendly smile. The fact that she was much closer than before was a good sign, Victoria thought. "Did you want to take a look at some of the photos I've taken?" she asked, motioning with her camera. She watched as Max bit her lower lip and shuffled in place, obviously tempted but very conflicted. "If you're not ready yet," Victoria said gently, "that's all right. No pressure. I can always show them to you later." After a moment, Max gave her a tiny nod but remained in place.

Juliet was right: Max really was incredibly shy. Victoria took no offense to her timid response, though. How could she? This was just Max's nature. "My name's Victoria" she continued, her tone light and friendly. "I just moved here on Sunday to take over my grandfather's farm. I believe you might have known him as Papa Chase?" She paused and was pleased when Max nodded again. "I'm not farming yet, though, since I had to take all my tools to Alyssa to get repaired. Apparently, sitting in the barn and being neglected for years and years wasn't conducive to their long term health. Who knew?"

When Max smiled softly at the small joke, Victoria knew she was making progress. Still, should she continue? How much was too much when it came to conversation with someone this shy? But, Alyssa did advise her to talk to Max like a normal person, even if she never made eye contact, so Victoria opted to continue. "You're Max, correct?" When she saw Max freeze, she hastened to continue. "Juliet and Alyssa mentioned you when I spoke to them. Both of them said you were a photographer and have a great eye for details." She lifted her camera again. "I'm just a hobbyist myself but I do love the art. I nearly took a course or two in college on the subject but couldn't really spare the time." She gave Max another friendly smile. "Perhaps later down the line, you could show me how a pro takes photos." Max blushed deeply at that, though the soft smile she wore indicated that she at least appreciated the compliment.

Encouraged by Max's responses, Victoria wracked her brain to come up with other, safe topics to talk about when she saw the shy girl lift her gaze from the ground and look towards the sky. After a moment, she pointed towards something in the distance, drawing Victoria's attention in that direction to see... clouds? She lifted her camera, adjusted the focus once more, and snapped a shot before she finally clued in as to why Max was pointing them out in the first place.

She turned back to Max and asked, "Is it going to rain soon?"

Max ducked her head again and nodded.

Victoria smiled. "In that case, I better make my way back home." She stood from the tree stump and brushed a hand across her backside to get rid of any dirt loose dirt. "I missed the weather forecast this morning, so thank you for warning me. I appreciate it."

Another shy nod was Max's reply, though this time, she wore a tiny smile. Progress, Victoria thought to herself. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. "Once my tools are repaired, I'll be pretty busy on the farm, so I don't know when I'll be able to take another excursion like this one. But, if you want to take a look at the ones I did take, or if you want to show me any of your work, feel free to stop by, okay?"

Max gently bit her bottom lip and for a moment, flicked her gaze up to Victoria before looking away once more. Her small nod did bring a smile to Victoria's face. "Excellent. It was nice meeting you, Max."

* * *

You, too.

Which is what Max desperately wanted to say to Victoria, but couldn't. Once again, her shyness held her back, kept her mute, kept her anxious and scared. She really, really wanted to say something, though. Victoria was so nice to her, didn't berate her or call her dumb, didn't dismiss her for being silent, talked to her like a normal person without belittling her. She appreciated it, more than she could actually say at the moment. And that frustrated her.

She clenched her hands into fists, wishing she could just be normal for once, instead of the petrified girl she's always been. A moment later, she sighed quietly, relaxing her hands as she did so. Who was she kidding? She was always going to be this way. The shy girl. The quiet girl. The scared girl. At least here, in Pelican Town, she had friends. Real friends who understood her, who spoke to her, who wanted to hang out with her, and who liked her for who she is. And for that, she'd be forever grateful.

Maybe Victoria would become a friend, too?

Max blinked at the thought. Maybe?

Victoria was interesting. Just moved here to take over Papa Chase's farm despite being completely inexperienced (Juliet had told her this last evening). But she was also so nice and kind and considerate. And she also liked photography! That was an unexpected bonus. It would give them something to talk about to each other, should Max ever be able to actually _talk_ to her. She was determined to do her best to get to that point, though, and hoped that Victoria would be patient with her in the meantime.

Max shadowed Victoria as the tall blonde made her way back through the forest, stopping once Victoria walked past the tree line. She fully expected for Victoria to keep on going and, therefore, was surprised when she instead turned and gave Max a friendly goodbye wave. Unable to maintain eye contact, Max ducked her head, hand twitching a bit as she tried, and failed, to wave back.

A moment later, Max could see Victoria turn and continue on to Papa Chase's farm. Or was that Victoria Chase's farm instead? She wasn't sure. Maybe she could ask Victoria herself. Eventually. She sighed again. But not if she wanted to know this year. Maybe she'd ask Juliet when she visited again.

Maybe.

After waiting to make certain no one else was around, Max made her way home. Her sanctuary. She really liked its location: close enough to the rest of town to feel like she belonged, yet far enough away that she wasn't constantly worried about who might be hovering nearby (Marnie's ranch didn't count as animals never triggered her anxiety). It took her a while to make friends here but she was ever so grateful that she did. They were all super nice and understanding, always making her feel welcome even when they were the ones visiting her (she just wasn't brave enough to visit them in their homes yet). They also were super good about texting her before stopping by, so she could prepare to meet them or, if she wasn't feeling company that particular day, have enough time to work up the courage to decline.

There was one exception to this general rule, however, and when Max rounded the corner to her house, there she was. Seated on the ground, leaning against her front door, playing with blade of grass. She glanced up and, noticing Max, gave her a lopsided grin as she rose to her feet.

"Yo, Maximilian," Chloe greeted, then spread her arms wide. "I'm back."

It took a moment for Max to get her feet to work but when they did, she rushed forward and practically slammed into Chloe, clutching at her shirt. She felt Chloe's arms wrap around her and let out a quiet sob. "Chloe..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm here now." Chloe turned her head and placed a gentle kiss on Max's temple. "I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

Max nodded against Chloe's chest and sniffed. "Chloe..." She sniffed again and tried her best to say how much she missed her, how happy she was to see her back, how worried she was because she was gone for so long. "I..."

Chloe, who knew and understood how hard it was for Max to speak up, even amongst friends, gave her a squeeze, then pulled back slightly. "I got an idea: why don't we head inside, curl up on your sofa, and relax. You can make me some of that tea you love so much and we'll shoot the shit, just you and me." When Max eased back slightly to look her in the eyes, Chloe smiled. "Sound like a plan?"

"Yeah," Max whispered as she took a half-step back and wiped at her eyes. "That sounds great. Thank you." She gave Chloe a bright smile. "Thank you so much."

"Always, Maximus. Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UTV = utility task vehicle. Basically, a work version of an ATV, which is more geared towards having a good time. I wanted to give Robin a way to move about town that didn't involve a full-sized vehicle, which would get cumbersome. Imagine she's driving around in a pick-up truck golf cart and you have a basic idea.
> 
> This chapter went through one major-ass rewrite. The first draft was so God-awful! I wrote it, interjecting a good amount of humor and conversation but, when all was said and done, it felt sooooooo wrong. My problem: I had Max talking way too much, which didn't match my interpretation for her in this story. So, when I went back and eliminated all her speaking parts, the chapter just fell into place.
> 
> This version of Max might be super duper shy but around those she's comfortable with, like Chloe and Juliet, she can and does open up. She'll even joke around, laugh, play games, and all that fun stuff. She's just way better at one-on-one than with groups, and when she encounters someone new, like Victoria, she clams up tight. The fact that Victoria is into photography is going to help Max open up to her a lot quicker than if she wasn't, a deliberate choice on my part. This also allows me to work in another callback to canon-Victoria and her love of photography.
> 
> Rainfall being imminent is actually a callback to Stardew Valley itself, as it always rains on day 3 of the game, after which, the weather is randomized. Rain is helpful as it waters your crops automatically, and it also changes dialogue options with some NPCs and also alters their behavior (most tend to stay indoors when it's raining, as you might expect). In addition, there are certain fish that can only be caught on rainy days and certain events that will only occur when it rains, too.
> 
> Max and Chloe do have a very tight relationship with one another, though the exact details of how they met and all that is something I haven't quite thought about. I just like them together. If it comes up in the future, I'm sure I'll figure it out.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	14. Rainy Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Psst. You can also find me [here, on my Tumblr page](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/))

Juliet's day started off relatively early. For her, anyway. After taking her morning shower, getting dressed, and grabbing a quick breakfast (cereal for the win!), she gave both of her parents a hug and kiss, letting them know she would be out and about probably all day. As the store was closed on Wednesdays, she knew she wouldn't be needed to do any grocery deliveries and could afford to roam around for as long as she liked.

She didn't actually plan to roam, though. She was on a mission. And that was to find Victoria and apologize to her.

When Juliet had left the saloon last night, she kept thinking about what Steph had said about getting Victoria's permission to share the wealth and how she, Juliet, did precisely the opposite. She didn't even think to ask. She just shared everything she knew about Victoria to anyone who would listen, which, honestly, was everyone. New girl in town, of course everyone was interested! Except now, she was feeling a bit guilty about it. Dana said that Victoria couldn't possibly hate her for sharing idle talk but Juliet couldn't swear to that herself. What if Victoria was actually stewing about what happened and was just incredibly good about hiding her it? Okay, so the chances of that were probably small, as Victoria had plenty of time to tell her off yesterday if she really wanted to. She even invited Juliet to stay for lunch, for crying out loud! That had to be a sign that things were fine between them, right? But, there was still that niggling doubt in the back of her head that refused to stop. The thought that Victoria might secretly hate her...

Juliet shook her head. No. She had to fix this before she gave herself an ulcer. And so, bright and (relatively) early, she made her way to the Chase farm, stepped up to the entrance to Victoria's home, and knocked on the screen door.

And waited.

And waited.

...huh.

She wasn't home? Juliet rolled her eyes at herself. Well, d~uh! Of course she very well couldn't be home. Juliet didn't know Victoria's schedule or plans in the slightest, who could easily be out and about herself. Or maybe she was just watching TV and didn't hear her knock?

Hmm.

Juliet opened the screen door, placed her ear against the front door, and listened carefully. Nothing. No TV, no sounds at all. So, maybe she really wasn't home. Without thinking about it, she tried the door handle and was surprised when it turned. The door wasn't locked. That meant she could easily step inside and take a quick peek, confirm that Victoria was or wasn't home. It'd be super easy and super quick. No harm, right?

A second later, she slowly released the handle and backed away. No, she wasn't going to violate Victoria's privacy like that. There was a time not too long ago when she wouldn't have thought twice about doing precisely that but those days were long past. And besides, if Victoria really was harboring a disliking towards her, barging into her home uninvited wouldn't help matters at all.

Taking a deep breath, Juliet turned around and started walking back to town. She could always find Victoria later and apologize then. No biggie. Time to head back home, maybe do some more research on JojaMart, and wait for a better time.

Yeah.

Aw, hell. Who was she kidding? She absolutely wasn't going to leave things alone. Just wasn't her way. If Victoria wasn't home, she'd just have to find her, no matter how long it took. Pelican wasn't that big of a town, so it should be pretty easy. Right?

Some time later, Juliet came to realize that if she didn't know _where_ to look, Pelican was big enough to hide anyone. She had made her way through town, looking around but not seeing her wandering about. Figuring Victoria might be visiting people, Juliet tried the library first, chatting with Taylor for a bit (who had also met Victoria and had gushed about how nice she was, and how she was going to help rebuild the empty museum), then touched base with Kate, who was there preparing a future lesson for Jas and Vincent. Kate had yet to meet Victoria, though, and so couldn't provide any ideas where she might be. Juliet thanked her anyway and, hug delivered, continued on her way.

She tried Alyssa next, who invited Juliet behind the counter to talk, as she was hip-deep in a project and didn't want to stop. The two spoke for a bit, Alyssa explaining that Victoria hadn't been by today and didn't expect to see her until Friday afternoon, on account that her tools wouldn't be ready until then. When Juliet asked about the job itself, Alyssa motioned to the corner of the room, where all of Victoria's tool sat, waiting to get repaired.

"It's going to be a pretty big one," Alyssa stated as she went back to her task, smoothing out the sharp edges of a metal toolbox she had repaired. "Nothing complicated but with that many tools, it'll be time consuming."

"I can imagine," Juliet had replied, impressed. That was an awful lot of tools! "You have everything you need for them, though, right?"

"Oh, yeah. I had some handles on hand and got the rest of them from Robin late yesterday, with the exception of one for the scythe. She's crafting a new one for me now, though it won't be ready until tomorrow."

"Awesome," Juliet said with a nod, then leaned down to give the seated Alyssa a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for chatting with me. Take care, okay?"

"You, too."

Once she left Alyssa's place, Juliet went north to scope out the JojaMart for a while, but saw neither hide nor hair of Victoria through the windows. Taking a risk, she went inside to check the aisles, giving the cashier a quick, "Just looking for someone, don't mind me," before leaving. Nope, nothing. The Saloon was closed, so that was out. And she didn't appear to be in the clinic, either. At least, she wasn't in the waiting room and she knew better than to ask Dr. Harvey about who may or may not have been in that morning.

Only slightly daunted, Juliet continued to look, checking out the playground area and the surrounding park but saw no sign of her. She tried the door to the old Community Center (still locked up tight), before making her way up the mountain path to check inside Robin's. She chatted with the carpenter and discovered that Victoria had definitely been home earlier (Robin explained she had inspected the old barn on Victoria's property), but that was way before Juliet had even woken up, so she had no idea where Victoria might be now.

Bummer.

Juliet then checked the mountain lake area, peeked inside the windows of the Adventurer's Guild (they were closed, too), bypassed the cave (nopenopenope), and hiked to the train platform. Still nothing. She even checked the hot springs, on the off-chance that Victoria was there, taking a long soak. Nada, zilch, nothing.

Well, crap.

Head bent low, Juliet began trudging home, her feet taking her down the side pass from Robin's. She couldn't help but feel discouraged. Here she was, trying to do the right thing, and no matter where she went, couldn't find the one person she really wanted to see. _Needed_ to see. If she didn't know better, it was almost as if Victoria was purposely avoiding her. Fortunately, she did know better. It was impossible for Victoria to know ahead of time that Juliet was looking for her, after all. Seriously, she could easily be lounging at the beach for all she knew.

Juliet stopped dead in her tracks, then gave her forehead a light smack. The beach! Of course! How could she forget about one of the best features of the Valley? And with Victoria being new, of course she'd want to explore there! But considering Juliet was about as far from the beach as was possible at the moment, she decided to use her head and pulled out her phone. Instead of hiking all that way and possibly missing Victoria yet again, she'd text Brooke and ask her if she'd met any tall, new-to-town blondes this morning or if maybe she could take a quick look outside and scan the beach for such a person.

A drop of water hitting her screen interrupted Juliet's plans. She blinked, then looked up, only to have another drop strike her face. "Oh, crap, crap, crap!!" She scrambled to get the small plastic baggie she kept in her jacket pocket for just this sort of emergency, shoved her phone inside, and just managed to seal the bag closed a moment before the rain fell in earnest.

Though there was no one around to witness it, Juliet let loose a long-suffering sigh, then put her now-protected phone back in her jacket pocket. She completely spaced checking the weather this morning and had been so focused on finding Victoria, that she never noticed the clouds that had to be moving in. Which was totally her fault, she knew. No point in complaining about it.

That being said, the rain wasn't helping her mood at all. Knowing her jacket pockets were worthless, she tucked her hands under her armpits to try keeping them warm, then continued down the path. Dammit, if only she had thought to actually ask Victoria's permission from the get-go, she wouldn't be out here in the rain now, looking like a drowned rat. Again, though, her fault. And she wasn't blaming anyone other than herself. Heck, maybe the rain was some sort of karmic punishment? The thought brought a brief smile to her face a moment before she lost her footing on a patch of mud and fell on her ass with a wince and a splut.

Well, great.

If this really was some sort of karmic justice for a debt that was owed, Juliet thought to herself bitterly, it was obviously collecting interest. Since she was already seated, muddy though it was, she took a moment to yank off her cowboy boots. They were rapidly filling with water with every step, which was making walking in them extremely uncomfortable. She ignored the temptation to just leave them behind and tucked them under one arm (shaft part down so they wouldn't fill as she carried them), then carefully made her way down the rest of the path, doing her best to avoid other patches of mud.

When she finally reached the end of the path, Juliet was shivering badly. The rain wasn't letting up and her jacket, though fashionable, wasn't water repellent at all and was now as soaked through as the rest of her clothing. She was considering trying to jog the rest of the way home, hoping the exercise might warm her up, when she glanced up and saw light shining from Victoria's windows.

She was back.

Oh, thank God.

And yet, Juliet paused. She hadn't had a chance to apologize to her yet so did she really want to push her luck here? A slight gust of wind and the resulting full body shiver made the decision for her. She scrambled to the front door and knocked, praying that Victoria would be merciful.

She'd grovel if she had to.

* * *

Upon hearing a knock at her door, Victoria blinked in confusion. Who the hell could possibly be visiting her in this weather? Setting her book aside, she rose from her easy chair, made her way to her door, opened it, and blinked again.

Juliet tried to give Victoria a smile but her teeth were chattering way too much to pull it off. "Hey, Vi-vi-vic-to-r-r-r-ia."

"Son of a-- Get in here!" And without waiting for a reply, Victoria pushed her screen door open, grabbed a fistful of Juliet's jacket, and yanked her inside, shutting the front door behind her. "Christ, what the flying fuck...!?"

The warmth of the home was absolutely godsend but Juliet was still cold as hell. She watched as Victoria hurried to her bathroom. "S-s-s-s-orr-r-ry 'bout thi-i-i-i-ssss."

Victoria paid the apology no mind as she twisted the hot water knob for her tub, then snatched up a fresh towel from the nearby rack. She bee-lined it to the shivering girl and pointed at her. "Strip."

Even wet and freezing, Juliet still turned beet red at the unexpected command. "Wha-a-a-a--"

Not bothering to wait, Victoria tossed the towel onto her easy chair and started disrobing Juliet herself. "You're not catching hypothermia or the flu on my watch," she stated firmly as she dropped the drenched jacket the floor, then reached for the hem of Juliet's t-shirt. "You need out of those clothes right away before you get sick."

Juliet didn't get a chance to nod as Victoria pulled her shirt up and over her head, leaving her in just a bra. "O-k-k-kay." She reached behind her to try undoing her bra but her fingers weren't cooperating.

Victoria, in the meantime, unzipped Juliet's skirt and let it fall to the floor. Completely unconcerned about the water, she knelt down and grasped one of Juliet's ankles. "Grab my shoulders. Now." When Juliet did, Victoria lifted the girl's foot and stripped the sock from it, then repeated the action on the other foot. Rising, she saw Juliet hadn't removed her bra yet and didn't hesitate: she turned the girl around and unclipped the bra herself. Dropping it to the floor as well, she reached over, grabbed the towel off her chair, and wrapped it around Juliet's body. "All right, let's get you warm."

"S-s-sorry 'bout your f-f-floor," Juliet muttered as Victoria guided her to the bathroom.

"Not even an issue," Victoria said with a slight shake of her head. "That's why mops were invented." Entering the bathroom, she saw steam rising from the tub. "Good. The water's nice and hot. Let me adjust the temp real quick so you don't boil."

Watching Victoria adjust the water and turn on the shower, Juliet couldn't help but feel immensely grateful. Her earlier worries temporarily forgotten, she allowed Victoria to help her climb into the tub (not even noticing when the towel was gently pulled off her body), then groaned in relief as the hot water cascaded down her body.

Reaching up, Victoria pulled the shower curtain closed. "Get yourself warm and clean. Take as much time as you need and use whatever products you see there. Okay?"

"Okay." Juliet cleared her throat. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Juliet tilted her head back, letting the water splash across her face, then ran her fingers through her hair. God, this felt so _good_. Feeling to her nose restored, she stripped off her panties (the last remaining piece of cold-as-hell clothing she wore), kicked them to the far side of the tub, and started bathing in earnest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Self-doubt is always a tricky thing and if you're not careful, it can really kick you in the teeth. But, and not to spoil the next chapter, things are going to be fine. Promise!
> 
> Speaking of which, I know that this chapter cuts off right when things were getting good but I felt posting it was the right choice for two reasons. First, it was getting pretty long and this was a good enough stopping point for the moment. And second, I haven't quite nailed down what direction I want to take the next scene. Well, that's not precisely correct. I know what the next scene will entail but it's what follows that has me conflicted. I have two different approaches I could take and I'm still debating which is the better of the two. Knowing me, I'll likely write one version 3/4 of the way to completion before deciding yes, this is it! or no, I gotta try the other way. Regardless of which direction I ultimately decide, know that there's going to be warm fuzzies between Juliet and Victoria, guaranteed!
> 
> Another thing I wanted to showcase here was the casual intimacy that Juliet has with her friends. And she's not the only one. There's a background reason behind this as well that will hopefully come up in the story as time goes on.
> 
> Haven't updated this in a bit, so
> 
>   * Max replaces Leah, lives alone
>   * Chloe is kind of a special case in that she doesn't have an exact analogue to the Stardew Valley cast but, in a very real way, replaces both Shane and Linus
>   * Brooke replaces Willy, lives alone
>   * Kate replaces Penny, lives with Pam, her mother
>   * Rachel replaces Haley, lives alone
> 



	15. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [.](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/)

Ten minutes after Juliet had started her shower, Victoria had wrung out Juliet's wet clothing in her kitchen sink, retrieved Juliet's phone from the girl's jacket pocket, put said wet clothing in her washing machine (she didn't start it yet, though), mopped up the large puddle at the front door, started a pot of coffee, sat in her easy chair, and tried desperately not to think about the incredibly cute girl she had practically stripped naked.

It was for her own good, dammit! Victoria had to get her out of those wet clothes before Juliet got sick. There was nothing even remotely suggestive about it. She was just watching out for her friend, nothing more. That didn't change the fact that she had gotten quite the eyeful of Juliet's assets and now, she couldn't think of anything else.

Victoria let out a quiet groan and ran a hand down her face. Christ, was she really so thirsty that she couldn't stop thinking about Juliet, even if she had been shivering like a Chihuahua in a blizzard? Slightly peeved with herself, Victoria rose from her chair to head to the kitchen when she heard the shower turn off. "There's a fresh towel on the rack," she called out, only to hear a loud yelp and clatter. "Juliet?"

"Aw, crap! Crap, crap, crap!"

Victoria blinked at the scrambling noises coming from the bathroom. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot where I was so when I heard your voice, I got startled and bumped your shampoo bottle which fell and cracked open and half of it spilled and I'm so, so sorry!"

Smiling in relief, Victoria said, "Don't worry about that. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters. Just rinse whatever spilled down the drain."

The sound of water running started up again. "I promise I'll get you another bottle first thing tomorrow."

"Seriously, don't even sweat it. I swear I'm not upset in the slightest."

"Really?"

"Really." Victoria waited for the water to turn off again. "When you're finished drying off, there's a robe on a hook you can use and a pair of socks on the sink counter since the floor can get chilly."

"Awesome. Thanks!"

"You're welcome. You like coffee?"

"Yeah."

"Then, I'll make you a cup, too. How do you like it?"

"Light and sweet, thanks."

"Of course."

With that, Victoria made her way to the kitchen and poured two mugs of coffee. Hers she kept black but for Juliet's, added a couple of spoons of sugar, then a splash of milk (she didn't have any creamer). After stirring the coffee, she set both mugs onto the table, then settled in her seat to wait for Juliet.

She didn't have to wait long. Juliet emerged from the bathroom a minute later, dressed in Victoria's bathrobe, fuzzy blue socks on her feet, hair damp and delightfully disheveled. She gave Victoria a quirky grin then padded her way across the room, during which Victoria did her damnedest to keep her gaze on Juliet's eyes. It was a goddamn struggle (she hadn't considered that Cute girl + Robe + Nothing beneath said robe = Hot damn!) but she managed. Barely.

"This has to be the softest robe on the planet," Juliet said as she took a seat across from Victoria, then made a show of snuggling into the robe. "It feels like I'm wearing a cloud."

Victoria smiled at Juliet's cuteness. "I'm glad you like it. And I hope I made your coffee to your liking," she, reaching out to nudge one of the mugs towards Juliet.

Who blinked. "Oh, my God, what happened?"

"Hmm?" Victoria followed Juliet's line of sight to her left arm. "Oh, right. I scraped myself on one of my rusty-as-hell yard tools when I was inspecting them yesterday," she explained, looking back to Juliet. "No big deal. Steph took good care of the wound which should be completely healed in a couple of days. But since I have to keep everything clean during that time, that means no farm work for the time being."

"Ah, that explains it."

"Explains what?"

"When I stopped by Alyssa's earlier looking for you, she mentioned a pretty big job for you and I saw all the tools there." Juliet reached forward and gave Victoria's hand a touch. "You sure you're okay?"

"Definitely. It looks worse than it is because the bandage is so long." Victoria lifted her mug in her right hand and took a sip. "I was more irritated about losing work days than getting hurt, honestly."

"Okay." Juliet gave Victoria's hand a soft squeeze, then cupped her coffee mug with both hands, blew across the rim a couple of times, and took a sip. "Ah, that's perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Victoria replied, attempting to not dwell on that brief yet gentle touch to her hand. Both Juliet's and Steph's last night were seriously threatening her well-practiced calm. She took another sip of her coffee to cover her silence, then had a thought. "You said you were looking for me this morning?" To her surprise, the Juliet's cheerfulness rapidly drained from her face. "What's wrong?"

"I can't believe I forgot already," Juliet half-whispered as set her mug down. "You've taken such good care of me, made me feel so welcome, that I actually forgot." She cleared her throat and shifted in her chair, nerves suddenly striking her. "Yeah, I was looking for you," she said as she lifted her gaze. "Spent all morning trying to find you, actually."

"Really?"

Juliet nodded. "Yeah. I came by earlier but you weren't home, so then I went looking around town. I thought it'd be easy," she said with a rueful smile, "since Pelican is pretty tiny, but I had no luck. I tried the Library first, then Alyssa's, followed by JojaMart, the playground, Robin's, the mountain lake area, the train platform, and even the hot spring. I got so caught up trying to find you that I didn't even notice the rain moving in and was halfway down the side pass when I got dumped on."

"I'm sorry you got caught out but I am thankful I was here to help."

"Me, too. Thanks again for taking care of me."

"Of course." Victoria smiled. "Just like you said before, friends are supposed to help each other out."

Juliet chewed on her bottom lip at that. "We are still friends, then?"

The question made Victoria pause a moment. "Have you murdered my family?"

"Wha- No!" Juliet squawked as she jerked upright.

"Secretly robbed me blind?"

Juliet shook her head. "God, no!"

Victoria made a big production of looking around the room. "And my house is still standing, so you haven't tried torching the place."

"Why would I--"

"Then you obviously haven't done anything to threaten our friendship," Victoria interrupted Juliet, "so yes, we're still friends." She leaned forward a touch but kept her voice gentle. "So why don't you tell me why you'd think we weren't?"

"I..." Juliet took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Um, last night, a bunch of us were hanging out at Stella's. Chloe was there, too. She'd been gone a while so we were filling her in on the latest news. You came up more than a few times."

Victoria nodded. "To be expected. I'm the newest addition to Pelican so I know I'm kind of a hot topic."

Juliet cleared her throat. "Steph mentioned a bit about your family, said that you and she talked a lot that evening, and that you gave her permission to share what you told her to anyone else." She swallowed and ducked her head. "And that made me realize that I never did. Ask permission, I mean. To share the stuff you told me. I've just been blabbing it to everyone who'd listen." She looked up again. "When I realized that, I wanted to find you and apologize as soon as possible."

"And when you didn't find me at home, you went looking," Victoria concluded.

"Yeah." Juliet swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

There was nothing to forgive, though. That was the problem Victoria was running into. In her eyes, Juliet had done nothing wrong in the slightest. But, it was also apparent that guilt was eating the girl alive. She had to do something for her and quick.

A split second later, Victoria had an idea. She rose from the table and, taking a cue from Juliet herself, reached down to give the girl's hand a soft squeeze. "Wait here a moment. I'll be right back."

"Okay?" Juliet turned in her seat to watch Victoria walk back to the bathroom, rummage around one of the drawers, then walk back, a wide tooth comb in her hand.

"Turn around, please, and sit up nice and tall."

"Um, sure." Juliet did so and, despite seeing what was in Victoria's hand, was still surprised when she felt Victoria begin combing her hair.

"My mother was a private hairdresser before she met my dad and they got married," Victoria revealed as she gently worked on Juliet's hair with her fingers and the comb. "After they married, she kept her skills up even though there was no financial need. She told me she enjoyed doing this for her loved ones, meaning her husband and her children, as a way to connect with them on a deeper level. As we got older and more independent, it fell by the wayside for the most part, with one major exception: whenever we were upset, when something happened at school or elsewhere that made us sad or angry or frustrated, she'd have us sit just like you are now and calm us by combing and brushing our hair."

Despite her earlier trepidation, Juliet felt herself relax under Victoria's ministrations. "I can see why. This is so soothing."

"I'm glad." Victoria teased out another tangle, being careful not to tug on Juliet's hair too much. "And now that you're relaxed, let me say that you did absolutely nothing wrong, and certainly nothing to warrant apologizing about. Nothing I said to you was in confidence and I fully expected you to share it. I know for a fact that Mayor Lewis and Robin had done the exact same after I moved in Sunday afternoon."

"True. They told Jodi and my mom, and word spread super fast after that."

"Which is what Stella explained Monday evening." Victoria set the comb aside and started giving Juliet a scalp massage, which had the girl practically purring in her seat. "The main reason I specifically gave Steph permission to share is because we spoke about family and not just about me. Family can be a sensitive topic as you may know."

"I do." Juliet hesitated a second. "Um, though I can't say why, exactly."

"I understand. Because it's not about you but involves someone else, likely someone close, so I suspect one of your friends."

Juliet blinked. "Wow. You're good."

Victoria chuckled. "Like I said before, bitter experience. But I won't pry because it's not my place. Should anyone wish to tell me about their families, they'll do so in their own time." She took hold of the comb again and worked it through Juliet's hair. "But in case you need to hear the words, I forgive you. 100%."

The relief that Juliet felt was nearly ridiculous in its intensity. She sniffed loudly and was only partly surprised when, without missing a beat, Victoria handed her a pocket pack of tissues. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Victoria waited for Juliet to blow her nose and wipe at her eyes before continuing with her hair, but was caught off-guard when Juliet rose from her chair and turned to face her.

"Can I hug you?" she asked, her face relieved, hopeful, and so-fucking cute!

"Absolutely," Victoria said as she opened her arms.

Juliet wrapped her arms around her friend and held on tight. "You're so awesome," she said, voice slightly muffled. "Thank you for being my friend."

"I should be thanking you," Victoria replied. "I've never made friends this easily before. There's a reason I'm reading that book, after all."

Juliet laughed as she pulled back. "The book may be giving you pointers but the way you comforted me was all you. I think that means you have good instincts, but maybe no opportunities to use them before moving here."

"You may be right," Victoria said with a smile, then reached out to gently adjust Juliet's robe. It had fallen partly open, exposing a tantalizing amount of skin. "Not used to wearing robes, I take it?"

"No, not really," Juliet replied with small shrug, letting Victoria do her thing. "I don't have one at home but as comfy as this one is, I might have to change my mind."

It was apparent that Juliet was completely unaware of just how close she was to flashing Victoria. For the sake of her sanity, Victoria motioned towards her bedroom. "Then why don't I find you something to wear. And once you're dressed, I will attempt to make us lunch."

"Oh?" Juliet grinned as she followed Victoria. "You think you're ready to cook?"

"Nope," Victoria admitted, "so you have to promise not to laugh at what will likely be a disaster."

Juliet placed a hand over her chest and tried putting on a serious face. "I promise I won't laugh at you, only with you." At Victoria's snort, Juliet grinned widely.

"Good enough for me," Victoria said, then opened a dresser drawer. "Now, let's see what we have here..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice, calm, comforting scene involving Victoria and Juliet, exactly what the doctor ordered. I enjoyed writing this one and, for the first time ever, felt no urges to make things angsty or anything. Just a mild amount of guilt that Victoria quickly assuaged. We're keeping things nice and chill here in this story, after all.
> 
> Victoria combing Juliet's hair is partially inspired by numerous ASMR videos I've watched over the years. Her mother's background was something that came to me as I typed. I've read many excellent fics where Victoria's mother is as much a business mogul as her father, and I was tempted to do the same here, but that's not what my fingers did! So, why not try something completely different? I'll flesh out Victoria's mother and father more as needed but the vague idea I have is the two fell in lust for each other but, to the surprise of everyone else, actually fell in love. No loveless parents in this Victoria's background.
> 
> Coming up next: Kitchen Nightmare or Successful Lunch?


	16. The Bestie, Dana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, chapter 16! I do apologize for the delay on this one but I kept flip-flopping over the beginning, middle, and ending and it took me a while to finally settle on the overall flow. I hope it's worth the wait!
> 
> Find more of my stuff [here!](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/)

Lunch was eventually successful, though the events leading to it was definitely memorable!

Victoria had seen what she figured was a rather simple recipe in her cookbook, grilled cheese, and felt that a hot sandwich on a cold, rainy day would be perfect. Juliet agreed and even had the idea to heat up a can of soup to go along with said sandwiches, something that Victoria felt was a great idea. And so, armed with a loaf of bread, spreadable butter, several slices of cheese, a heated frying pan, spatula, and a can of soup in a small sauce pot, Victoria tried her level best to make the both of them lunch.

And failed.

The first sandwich burnt to a crisp because she let the frying pan get too hot. The second attempt, the bread turned out a greasy, soggy mess since Victoria had turned the heat down too low and it was nowhere near hot enough to actually toast the bread. The sandwich might have been salvageable had Victoria, after cranking the heat back up, not panicked upon seeing the cheese oozing from the edges of the sandwich to sizzle on the surface of the frying pan, and flipped the sandwich too hard. As a result, the sandwich sailed out of the pan and hit the floor with a soft splut.

Juliet slapped her hands over her mouth to stop any laughter from escaping but when Victoria started chuckling... Well, she did promise she'd laugh _with_ Victoria. When the pair got the giggles out of their system, Juliet helped Victoria clean up the mess and, working together, lunch was prepared in short order.

Conversation was light and fun, with Victoria talking about meeting Max and the one-sided yet still pleasant conversation she had with her. "Thanks for letting me know she was so shy," she said to Juliet. "Between your heads up and Alyssa's advice, I was able to talk in a way that was receptive for her."

"You're welcome," Juliet said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm so glad that you and she hit it off so well, too."

Victoria hummed as she polished off the last of her soup. "You really think we did?"

"Definitely. I know Max pretty well by now and she doesn't open up like she did to just anyone. And before you ask, yes, she really did open up to you, based on what you told me. You practically had an entire conversation with her and on the first day, too!" Juliet grinned. "You just might have an admirer already."

"But was she admiring me or my camera?" Victoria asked with a small grin.

"Ooo, tough call." Juliet made a big production about thinking about it, then giggled when Victoria snorted out a laugh. "Maybe a bit of both but remember, cameras don't talk. You taking photos might have prompted her to approach but afterwards, it was all you." She smiled. "Like I said before, good instincts."

"I'll take your word for it." Victoria rose from her seat, Juliet joining her a second later. "Let's go ahead and get all this cleaned up, then I'll start a load of laundry, get your stuff washed and dried."

"Sounds good."

As before, the dishes were washed and rinsed quickly and efficiently, with Juliet cleaning off the table and Victoria wiping down the stove. She was just finishing up when Juliet said, "Let me grab something real quick," and made her way back to the bathroom, which allowed Victoria the opportunity to drink in the sight. She had made a critical mistake when selecting clothing for Juliet, figuring that a sleep shirt that came to upper-thigh on her would be plenty long enough for Juliet's shorter frame. Which was technically correct, but what she failed to consider was every single time the girl moved, the shirt would hug her body this way and that, accentuating her curves while constantly highlighting the fact that she wasn't actively wearing a bra. Coupled with the knowledge that the boy shorts the girl now wore beneath the shirt were one good sneeze away from dropping around her ankles (Juliet mentioned that they were a touch loose), Victoria had discovered, much to her dismay, that her libido was very much alive and kicking.

She turned to the sink and rinsed her rag while mentally berating herself. There was a time and a place for everything, and, dammit, now wasn't the time. Juliet was a guest and a friend, and their relationship was practically brand new. There was no reason to jeopardize that by acting like a horn dog.

"And, I'm back."

Victoria turned and saw that Juliet had brought over her hamper of dirty clothes. "You want to wash my clothes, too?"

"Why not?" Juliet said with a shrug. "Saves time, water, and electricity, and none of my stuff requires special handling or anything like that. Plus, when I glanced inside earlier, most of what I saw were jeans and t-shirts, so there won't be a problem."

"And you don't mind mixing everything up? I know some people have aversions to that kind of thing."

Juliet smiled. "Fortunately, I'm not one of them. Dirt is dirt, and I don't think you're the kind of person to use the super cheap detergent, so there won't be any issues there."

"As long as you're fine with it."

Victoria opened the lid to her washer and working together, the hamper was quickly emptied of nearly everything. Detergent and fabric softener was added, the lid was closed, the dial spun, and the Start button pressed.

The distinct lack of noise from the washing machine gave the pair pause. They glanced at one another before Victoria spoke up. "This is the point where water's supposed to start filling the machine, correct?" she asked. "The rules aren't so different in the Valley versus Seattle, right?"

Juliet gave Victoria a playful shove. "Don't be silly. Maybe try turning the dial a bit? It's an older washer so maybe the knob's out of sync."

Victoria did so and tried again, but the water failed to start flowing. "Hmm."

"Is the washer getting power? Maybe the outlet is bad?"

"One way to test that." Victoria rotated the dial to the spin cycle and was rewarded when the machine started right up. She spun the dial again to stop the movement. "Okay, so there's definitely power."

"Maybe the cotton setting is shot."

"Maybe." Victoria then tried the permanent press and delicate settings, to no avail. She spun the dial to an off setting and let out a long sigh. "That'll teach me to assume that something works before testing it."

Juliet gave Victoria's arm a soft pat. "Hey, it's okay. No one ever thinks to test out a washing machine of all things so you're not alone. And besides, there is a bright side to this."

Victoria glanced over and arched her eyebrow. "Oh, really? Do tell."

"At least you found out now instead of at the end of the week, when you've used up most of your clean clothes and then had nothing to wear at all."

"That's actually a really good point," Victoria said after a moment, then gave Juliet a smile. "Thanks."

Juliet beamed, happy to have cheered up her friend. "You're welcome."

"Of course, that doesn't change the fact that your stuff is still dirty and you don't have anything to wear," Victoria stated motioning towards the washing machine.

"Well, that's true." A moment later, Juliet snapped her fingers. "But, I have the perfect solution."

* * *

"Twenty-eight... Twenty-nine... Thirty!"

Finishing her curls, Dana slowly squatted down and eased the barbell to the floor. Standing, she stretched mightily, then used her hand towel to pat her face and neck dry. She was debating if she was going to do any cardio now or later (she normally took a jog but the rain put a damper on those plans) when her phone let out the very distinctive 1-Up sound effect from the Super Mario games, indicating she had an incoming text message. She grinned to herself, still not used to the new sound effects Juliet had loaded onto her phone Sunday afternoon but was happy she had done so, as they gave it some much needed personality.

She picked up her phone, tapped the notification, and read.

 **Jules**  
Hey, D! Got a bit of a problem. I got caught out in the rain earlier and got myself soaked. Don't worry, though! Victoria's taken good care of me, let me use her shower and everything. But we just discovered her washer's broken so I can't wash my stuff. Can you do me a favor and swing by my place and pick me up a spare set of clothes? Oh, and shoes, too, since my boots filled with water and are soaked as well.

 **Me**  
Don't tell me you've been running around a stranger's house naked this whole time. ;-P

 **Jules**  
Wait, is this Chloe?

 **Me**  
LOL

 **Jules  
**XD Victoria lent me some sleep clothes, so no. And she's not a stranger, she's my friend.

 **Me**  
I know. Just giving you grief, that's all. I'm glad she was there to help you out. ****

 **Me**  
Let me grab a quick shower myself, grab your stuff, then drop in. Say, 30 minutes?

 **Jules**  
Sounds good! Thanks! I owe you one.

Setting her phone down, Dana stripped out of her workout clothes, stepped into her adjoining bathroom, and cranked up her shower. If she was just going to visit Juliet, she'd be tempted to skip the shower but considering she was going to meet Victoria for the first time, she didn't want to give her a bad first impression. And smelling like she just finished working out would definitely do exactly that.

After she was freshly scrubbed and had toweled off, she applied deodorant, brushed her teeth, gargled with some mouthwash (she really wanted to make a good first impression), then tried to figure out what to wear. Nothing too fancy, obviously. Not only was it raining but getting too dressed up felt like she'd be lying about who she was. And she was a great many things but a liar wasn't one of them.

Giving a mentally shrug, Dana opted to go with her usual casual attire and stepped into a clean pair of black leggings, white ankle socks, bra, and halter top. She then sat at her vanity and quickly brushed out the tangles in her hair. One scrunchie later and her hair was once again in its ubiquitous ponytail. She took another look in the mirror, tilting her head back and forth, then decided on some light make up (she really, _really_ wanted to make a good first impression!). Once she was satisfied with her face, she tugged on her sneakers and laced them up, then, out of deference to the weather, pulled a hooded sweatshirt over her head. Sliding her phone into the slim pocket of her leggings, she tucked her keys and a tube of cherry Chapstick into her hoodie pockets, then exited her room.

Before she left, she walked into the living room to see her grandfather seated in front of the TV, as usual. She stepped up close and leaned down to give him a kiss on the head. "I'm headed out, Pappy. You need anything before I go?"

George grunted softly. "I need you to put on more clothes. You'll catch your death of cold dressed like that."

Dana rolled her eyes fondly at the statement. It was an old argument they always had, though it was more like their version of banter. "These are plenty warm, promise. But I will be using an umbrella, so I'll stay nice and dry."

"If you say so." George flicked his gaze in her direction. "Be safe," he said, voice softening.

"I will."

Dana then entered the kitchen where her grandmother was filling a kettle with water from the sink. "I'm headed out, Nan," she said, giving the shorter woman a hug. "Juliet got caught out in the rain and asked me to get her some spare clothes."

"And where is she now?" Evelyn asked when Dana stepped back.

"Apparently, she's with Victoria, who helped her out."

Evelyn nodded. "Chase's granddaughter, that's right. I met her yesterday. Such a friendly girl, that one. Oh, and since you'll be headed in that direction..." She reached for a round plastic container on the kitchen counter and handed it to Dana. "Here. Take these with you."

"Are these the cookies you baked this morning?" Dana asked, giving the container a small sniff.

"They certainly are. You never know when you might need to make a good first impression, especially on such a lovely lady as that one."

Dana blushed lightly at that. "Nan..."

"Oh, don't you 'Nan' me, not until you've met her. I can easily see you and her together, just like with Juliet." Evelyn ignored Dana's sputtering and turned back to the stove. "Will you be home for supper?" she asked as she turned the burner on to heat the kettle.

Shaking her head (Nan loved to tease her), Dana replied, "I'm not sure but if I'm running late, don't worry about me. I'll grab a bite somewhere."

"I'll set your portion aside for lunch tomorrow, then," Evelyn said easily. "Now, you run along now and tell Juliet I said, 'Hi.'"

"I will." Dana gave her Nan a kiss on the cheek. "Love you."

"You, too."

* * *

"Ooo, that's a nice one," Juliet stated, pointing at the photo of the forest lake Victoria took. "Looks like you got really close to the ground for this one."

"I did, actually." Victoria tabbed to the previous image to compare the two shots. "I liked the gleam of the sun on the surface of the water here but didn't like the angle. So, I got all the way down on my stomach to take a new one. And got really lucky with the next shot," she stated tabbing to the next photo.

Juliet gasped softly in awe at the shot of a fish leaping out of the water. "Wow! Nice!"

Victoria smiled. "Thanks. If I was better prepared, the shot would've been even better, but I'm pretty happy how this one came out."

"As well you should," Juliet stated. "I know you said it's just a hobby for you but just about everything here is really awesome." She beamed. "Thanks for showing them off to me."

"You're welcome. I'm just sorry I don't have a better seat to do this," Victoria stated, motioning to her bed the pair were lounging on. "I did order more furniture, though. Should be here Friday morning."

"I don't mind one bit," Juliet said, doing a happy little shimmy where she sat. "Just makes things all cozy."

Don't stare don't stare don't stare. "As long as you're not uncomfortable."

"Pshhhh," was Juliet's reply as she waved that off. "Your bed isn't made of rocks, so it's all good. Besides, I do this with Dana and Brooke all the time, so I'm used to it."

A knock on Victoria's screen door made Juliet break out into a huge smile. "Speaking of which...!" She slid off the bed and scampered to the door, opening it quickly. "Dana! You're here!"

"D~uh!" was the friendly reply. "Were you expecting Pam?"

Victoria carefully set aside her lap desk and laptop, then made her way over to the front door, where Juliet was giving her (auburn haired, blue-eyed, very attractive) friend a hug.

"Come in!" Juliet said, opening the front door wider. "Oh, but leave the umbrella outside. And you might want to take off your shoes, too, since they're all wet."

"Sure thing," Dana replied, then bent over at the waist, set down her stuff, and started unlacing her sneakers.

Juliet turned to Victoria and began the introductions. "Victoria, this is Dana, by bestie since we were in diapers. Dana, my rescuer, Victoria."

"A pleasure," Victoria said, reaching out to shake hands with Dana when she stood upright.

"Thanks for having me," Dana replied, giving Victoria's hand a firm shake.

"Of course."

"Ooo, are these Nan's cookies?" Juliet stated, taking hold of the plastic container.

"Fresh baked this morning," Dana said with a nod, then smiled at Victoria. "Consider it a small 'welcome to Pelican' gift and a 'thanks for taking care of Juliet' gift all rolled into one."

Juliet turned to Victoria. "Nan makes the _best_ cookies. You got to try one."

"I think a cookie sounds like an excellent idea," Victoria said with a smile.

"But not until you get dressed," Dana stated, grabbing hold of the backpack and thrusting it in Juliet's direction. "I didn't come all this way for nothing, y'know."

"Fine, fine." Juliet traded the container for the backpack, then gave Dana a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks so much for this."

"You're welcome. I just hope you like what I picked out."

"As long as it isn't that Playboy bunny outfit of yours, I think I'm good," Juliet said as she walked back to the bedroom.

"As tempting as it was to bring it, I really didn't want to get kicked to the curb right after getting here." Dana grinned at Juliet's giggle, then turned her attention to Victoria, who was stepping into her kitchen area. "I've always thought this was a great place, so it's nice to see it being lived in again."

"I liked it the moment I stepped inside," Victoria said as she set the container onto her table, then went for her coffee maker. "I don't plan on making any changes to the house itself, though I do have more furniture on the way."

"Nice."

Victoria pushed the button to start a new pot (she already had it prepped and ready to go in case), then turned to see Dana still standing near the doorway. She motioned to the dining room table. "I'm sorry. Please, have a seat."

"Thanks," Dana said with a nod, then entered Victoria's home proper. "I didn't want to presume since you and I have never met before now."

"What do you mean?" came Juliet's voice from Victoria's bedroom. "Of course you could have a seat. You didn't have to wait."

"Actually, I did. Whose home is this again?" Dana asked, as she pulled out a dining room chair.

There was a slight pause, then Juliet stepped halfway around the dividing wall, a sheepish look on her face. "You're right. Sorry, Victoria."

"You're fine," Victoria said with a smile, trying desperately not to ogle her friend as Juliet was only half-dressed, wearing just a set of crimson footed tights and a black bra. "I did say to make yourself at home earlier, didn't I?"

Juliet's face brightened. "You're right, you did. Take that, D!" she said, then stuck her tongue out at Dana.

Dana snickered, turning back to Victoria as Juliet disappeared back around the corner. "Jules has always been like that. If she considers you her friend, she'll meld right into your space like she's been there all her life."

"I honestly don't mind," Victoria stated as she gathered up a few plates and mugs. "It's quite refreshing, especially compared to city life."

"Everyone more standoff-ish?" Dana asked as she finally sat down.

"Sort of. More like, every interaction was a potential battle to be won, no matter where it occurred. Having company over to your apartment simply changed the terrain, not the war."

Dana thought about it as Victoria set out the plates. "That's... kind of sad."

"Tell me about it," Victoria said with a slight eye roll.

"But all that's behind you now," Juliet stated as she entered the kitchen, now fully dressed in a skirt similar to what she wore before, except this one was a rich brown color, which paired nicely with her long-sleeved, slightly form-fitting burgundy top. "You may be new to Pelican but you're one of us, now. And in a very real way, we're all family."

"It'll take some getting used to but I'm looking forward to being part of the community." Victoria motioned behind her. "I'm making a pot if you wanted coffee with your cookie."

"I'll take a cup," Dana said. "Black, no sugar."

"I'm gonna help myself to some milk instead," Juliet stated as she grabbed one of the coffee mugs and went to the fridge.

Victoria took the other two, went over to her pot that had just finished, and poured herself and Dana a cup of coffee. She took hold of both mugs, turned, and froze. Right across the table, Juliet was now seated on Dana's lap, looking extremely comfortable, even as she reached for the plastic container and popped it open.

"Wow! Double chocolate, peanut butter, and sugar!" Juliet said with a wide smile. "Nan went all out today!"

"She sure did." Dana looked to Victoria who had yet to join them at the table. "You okay?"

Like a pro, Victoria mentally shook off the tiny spark of jealousy and said, "I'm mentally kicking myself, actually. Seeing you two like that," she motioned towards the pair, "reminded me that I completely forgot about getting a couple more dining room chairs when I ordered furniture yesterday."

Dana nodded. "Ah, okay. But don't worry about any discomfort on our part. Jules here is light as a feather."

"And you can always place another order for two more chairs later," Juliet added as she divvied up the cookies onto the plates, then perked up. "Oh! Or, you can talk to Robin, see if she can make a couple more."

"That's an excellent idea," Victoria said as she took her seat, then slid one of the mugs over to Dana. "Thanks for the suggestion."

"You're welcome!"

Victoria decided to focus on her cookie instead of the happy couple in front of her. Probably better for her manners and sanity. But when she took her first bite, her disappointment was completely forgotten. "Holy..." she mumbled as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "It's like tasting a piece of heaven."

"I know, right?" Juliet said as she lifted her plate, holding it under her chin as she took a huge bite of her own cookie. "'Er da beff," she said, covering her own mouth.

Dana grinned as she took a sip of coffee. "Nan's made these ever since we were little and they haven't changed one bit that entire time."

Victoria washed down the bite with a swallow of coffee. "And who's Nan?"

"Oh, right. I forgot you didn't know. Nan's my grandmother. You might've seen her around, actually. Evelyn?"

"Ah, gotcha. Yes, I did meet with her back on Tuesday. She was very friendly." Victoria declined to say what was said that day, though.

"And Pappy?" Juliet asked after swallowing. "George, I mean. Dana's grandfather and Evelyn's husband. Sometimes seen outside the house in his wheelchair."

"I didn't, no," Victoria said after a moment of thinking.

"Well, that's okay. He spends most of his time inside so it might be a while before you meet him. Just a heads up, though, he's a professional complainer. Always has something negative to say. But even if he sounds gruff and mean, he's a real softie at heart."

"He'd argue with the softie descriptor," Dana said with a smirk.

"Because it's in his nature to argue." Juliet giggled as she recalled something. "He and Papa Chase would really go at it sometimes. We were too young to really understand what they were arguing about but for the longest time, we always assumed they hated each other."

"I take it they didn't," Victoria said, before taking another bite of her cookie.

"Not even close," Dana said with a shake of her head. "I asked Pappy once, why he always hung around Papa Chase if he hated him so much. He told me, 'I don't hate that son-of-a-bitch. He's my best friend! He's just wrong about damn near everything, that's all.'"

Victoria snorted out a laugh, amused as hell. "God, I wish I could have witnessed some of that."

Dana grinned. "I'm sure you would've loved it."

Conversation continued, along those lines, with Juliet doing an admirable job of talking Dana up: her friendliness, her loyalty, and her athleticism, the last of which she practically gushed about, to Dana's slight embarrassment (she hated bragging). She only became comfortable again when Victoria revealed that she actually enjoyed watching women's soccer on TV and lamented that there wasn't a women's hockey team on the west coat. This absolutely delighted Dana to no end as she followed both sports and the pair spent the next little while chatting about trade deals, expansion possibilities, and the pay gap between men and women's sports as Juliet looked on, happy her two friends were growing comfortable with one another.

Once everyone had their fair share of cookies, Juliet slid off of Dana's lap and helped Victoria clean the dishes, as friends do. But once everything was finished, Juliet surprised Victoria when she asked, "Do you have any large trash bags or anything like that I can use?"

"I do," Victoria replied. "How come?"

"So I can take your clothes with me. I'll get them washed and dried for you at my place and bring them back."

Victoria blinked at the generous offer. "That's really nice of you, but you don't have to do that."

"Please?" Juliet stepped right up to Victoria and clasped her right hand in both of hers. "You've taken such good care of me, you've been so, so nice and wonderful, it's the least I can do. And who knows how long it might take to get your washer fixed or replaced." She leaned forward a smidgen and cranked the puppy dog eyes up to eleven. "Pretty please?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Victoria saw Dana cover her mouth to stifle her laughter. She turned to her guest and asked, "Her secret weapon, I take it?"

"Oh yeah," Dana said with a huge grin. "Though you should be proud. Jules only ever uses that look when she _really_ wants something."

Victoria turned back to Juliet and relented. "In that case," she said with a smile, "how can I possibly say no?"

To no one's surprise, Juliet released Victoria's hand to give her a big hug. "Thank you! I'll take good care of your clothes, promise."

"I trust you," Victoria replied as she let go, then went under her sink to grab said trash bag.

Dana and Victoria held the bag open as Juliet emptied the washer, careful not to snag any buttons or zippers on the bag itself so it wouldn't tear. Once the washer was empty, Dana tied the bag shut. "I think this is a good time to take our leave," she said to Victoria as Juliet washed her hands, "but why don't you swing by the saloon later this evening? We'll hang out, grab a bite, maybe shoot some pool."

"Oh, that'll be awesome," Juliet said before Victoria could even attempt to decline. "A bunch of us always head to Stella's on rainy days since the weather tends to keep people indoors and we like keeping her company. Steph'll be there, us, sometimes Taylor, and Alyssa, too."

"Chloe might be there, too, since she's in town," Dana added.

"That's right," Juliet said with a smile, drying her hands. "Which'll be the perfect, then, since that means you can ask her about your washer at the same time," she said, turning to Victoria. "I don't know if she can fix it but no harm in letting her take a look, right?"

"And while you're there, you can regale all of us the tale of Chloe being a ginormous jerkass to you."

That made Victoria grin. "I take it she told you about that?"

"Not really," Dana said. "She only mentioned running into you and that you didn't take any of her shit but not any details."

"She called you a queen, though," Juliet recalled. "And said you definitely weren't a dainty princess."

"A queen, hmm?" Victoria said with a grin. "I think I like the sound of that."

The other two snickered, then Juliet asked, "Will we be expecting her majesty to join us this evening, then?"

"Yes," Victoria answered with a smile. "Count me in."

"Yay!" And cue another hug from Juliet, which Victoria happily returned.

A few minutes later found Victoria standing just inside her house, watching Dana and Juliet through her screen door as the pair made their way back to town, walking beneath a wide, bright yellow umbrella. She couldn't help but smile. Sure, Juliet wouldn't ever be more than a friend but she was a damn good friend, and Victoria was going to do whatever she could to maintain that friendship and not be... What was the phrase Dana used? Oh, right. A ginormous jerkass. There was simply no need for that here, though it certainly helped that Dana was incredibly nice and friendly, herself. And into women's sports! That was an expected bonus. While Victoria never played while attending university, her roommate played on the soccer team and managed to turn Victoria into a fan.

After closing her front door, Victoria turned on her TV for background noise, then sat in her easy chair. Since she had plenty of time before dinner, she figured now was a great opportunity to review a bit more on friendly conversation. She really didn't want to mess things up.

* * *

"And then, she forgave me, just like that," Juliet said, snapping her fingers to emphasize the statement, then relaxed back into Dana's arms. "I felt sooooo relieved, I nearly started crying."

"I bet," Dana said with a small grin as she held her friend close. "I knew she wouldn't hate you. Too sweet and earnest."

"Yeah, but still."

"I get you."

The pair were seated on Juliet's over-sized bean bag chair in her bedroom, with Juliet halfway on Dana's lap and the bag itself, just chilling and chatting as they always did. They had already started the load of laundry and was killing time, waiting for the washer to get done.

Dana gave Juliet another squeeze. "You like her, don't you."

"I do," Juliet said with a nod. "I just don't know if she likes me. Well, I know she likes me," she continued, cutting off a likely interruption from Dana, "but I mean, _like_ -likes me."

"Hmm. So, still no vibes?"

"Not any I could tell. I mean, she did get an eyeful of me when she helped me out of my wet clothes, but never made a single comment about it after. And when I was wearing her robe and sleepshirt, she still didn't react. She was the perfect gentleman the entire time. Not one stray touch or even a leer." Juliet grinned when she felt Dana's hand on her upper thigh. "Exactly not like that."

Dana matched Juliet's grin. "But from what you said, you weren't really trying to be flirtatious or anything, so maybe she didn't think it was safe to take the initiative."

"Or maybe she's just not into girls."

"Maybe. But remember, this is Stardew Valley. Based on history alone, I'm willing to bet Victoria's at least bi. She's probably being extremely cautious. Remember what she said about living in the city, how every interaction wound up being a battle. That probably includes any potential romantic relationships, too." She turned to her friend. "So, what happens if you're always 'winning' that sort of battle?"

"You still lose," Juliet replied, her voice going quiet as she thought it through. "If you can't afford to ever let your guard down, worried someone's going to stab you in the back, it's much safer to keep your distance." She shook her head. "She did mention having bitter experience on her side. Man, that sucks."

"But, like you said, all that's behind her now. She's part of our community now and we'll all do what we can to make her feel welcome and safe. No pressure."

"I can't wait and I know a bunch of the others will be happy to help." Juliet gave Dana a smile. "You like her too, right?"

"What gives you that idea?" Dana replied.

"Putting aside how your eyes lit up when she mentioned liking soccer, I saw how you untied your shoes, bending over to show your ass to her."

"Hey, I always untie my shoes like that!"

"And do you always go without underwear?" Juliet asked, giving her friend a poke in the side, who flinched away. "Don't think I didn't notice the lack of VPL you have there."

"Um, hello?" Dana ran her hand up a bit more to point out the distinct lack of panties Juliet wore. "Pot, kettle?"

"I can only wear what you brought," Juliet protested. "Or didn't bring in this case, you big perv."

"A perv?" Dana saw Juliet's challenging grin and, quick as a whip, straddled her friend and pinned her wrists above her head with one hand.

Juliet was already giggling but when Dana attacked her ribs with her wiggling fingers, she exploded into laughter. "You jerk!!"

"A perv and now a jerk??" Dana play-shouted, running her fingers up and down the side of her squirming friend, who was doing her best to buck her off, but had zero leverage. "I'll show you perv!"

Juliet wiggled ineffectually, laughing her head off. "You b-big mean--!!'" She shrieked when Dana reached under her skirt and attacked the super-sensitive spot right at her hip bone. "I give, I give! Mercy!!" Thankfully, the tickle attack did stop, and Juliet spent the next minute trying to catch her breath.

Dana, in the meantime, enjoyed the sight of her friend's flushed face as she got the giggles out of her system. "I've showed you mercy," she said softly. "So what's my reward?"

Juliet did her best to turn her smile coquettish. "Perhaps a kiss?"

"Hmm." Dana made a show of thinking about it. "I like the sound of that," she replied, then tilted her head down to capture Juliet's lips with her own.

The kiss was slow and sweet, a calming contrast to the burst of glee from moments ago. When the two parted, Juliet flicked the tip of her tongue across her lips. "Cherry? For me?"

"Yep. You like?" When Juliet tugged against her grip, Dana happily let her wrists go.

Juliet wrapped her now freed hands behind Dana's neck and with a quiet, "Let me show you how much I like it," pulled her in for another taste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I didn't think this one would take as long as it did but now that I'm thinking about it objectively, I think part of it was stress. Not the traditional stress, mind you, but this corona virus pandemic that's wracking the entire world. I'm fine and I'm still working, but there's always that bit of "But what about tomorrow?" And I think that's been quietly gnawing on the back of my head for a few weeks now.
> 
> Gah! I don't want to bring the mood down, though, so let's talk about other things.
> 
> VPL - visible panty lines. I picked this up through a Twitter thread. Someone had complimented a girl on her cosplay and congratulated her on the lack of VPL. Took everyone a minute to figure out what the hell that person was talking about but when we did, well, we couldn't unsee it.
> 
> Grilled cheese is a deceptively easy dish and deceptively easy to screw up. I've made quite a few "very toasted" sandwiches in my day and I'm certain many of you have as well. I wanted to show that Victoria really is trying and also trying to impress Juliet, though the girl hasn't picked up on this yet.
> 
> Nan and Pappy is something that came with a brainstorming moment. While I always called my grandparents "granma" and "granpa," omitting the hard D sound, I wanted to do something else for Dana, especially to contrast with Victoria who calls Papa Chase "Grandpa." I also felt that Pappy was a nice balance against the acerbic nature of the character of George in Stardew Valley.
> 
> "Ginormous jerkass" is from a comment by [Jokulhaup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jokulhaup/pseuds/Jokulhaup) back in [chapter 12](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22296604/chapters/54398299). It amused the hell out of me so I absolutely had to incorporate it somehow. Thanks for that, Jokulhaup!
> 
> The final scene is my version of foreshadowing. Victoria thinks she no longer has a chance with Juliet but that's actually not the case. The girls in Pelican are quite open in their relationships and wouldn't mind the inclusion of one more, especially one as attractive and quite frankly awesome as Victoria. Unrealistic? Yes. But I never promised realism! I want my girls to be happy and, in this story, a lot more carefree, and this scene is building towards that. Plus, I'm an absolute sucker for happy Dana/Juliet moments and wanted to include one here.
> 
> The cherry Chapstick was a purposeful choice. Any guesses as to the reference? ;-P
> 
> I also hope that this new chapter will help keep morale up, with most everyone likely staying indoors and keeping themselves isolated. Please stay safe!


	17. Three Dollar Bill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many apologies for the lack of updates but my head just hasn't been in the game lately. I'm able to do bits and pieces but getting anything of substantial length out has been tricky. However, I'm still dedicated to this and my other stories and don't plan on abandoning anything anytime soon!
> 
> I sometimes write snippets and other gobbledegook [on my Tumblr page](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/) if you wanna check that out.
> 
> EDIT: Crap! I hit "Post Chapter" instead of "Edit Chapter" so I'm scrambling to fix things even now. Bear with me!  
> EDIT 2: Pretty sure I got all the errors. Enjoy!

It was around 5:00 in the evening when it occurred to Victoria that she hadn't asked Juliet or Dana when to meet at the Stardrop Saloon. And since she still didn't have anyone's phone number, she couldn't text them to ask, either. Something to rectify later. After all, she and Juliet were friends now, so it was probably safe to ask for hers at the very least. But since she didn't know, she decided to arrive around 6:00, like she did when she met Steph for their not-date.

Setting aside her farming book, Victoria rose from her easy chair, turned off her TV, then stretched. A glance out the window showed it was still raining, meaning that unlike her other trips to the saloon, she was going to wear jeans. As for a top, she was tempted to don a t-shirt and flannel, but there was still her bandage to worry about. No need to risk getting it wet. After debating the issue, she decided to go with a grey, long-sleeved shirt with a light, weather-proof jacket. A matching black bra and panty set (influenced by the vision of Juliet earlier) and a pair of sensible socks rounded out her outfit.

Placing the clothing on her bed, Victoria went to her bathroom, took care of business, then washed up, taking the extra time to clean her face as well. After patting her face dry, she exited the bathroom, stripped out of her lounging clothes and fuzzy socks, and proceeded to get dressed. Once finished, she took a seat at her vanity and got to work, applying her makeup, combing her hair, putting on her jewelry, all of it. She even took the extra step to dab a tiny bit of scented oil behind her ears and the inside of her wrists. She had never been a fan of traditional alcohol-based perfumes as they were too harsh on her nose, preferring the softness of her oils instead. She fanned her hands towards her face and sniffed, catching the subtle hint of rose in the air. Satisfied, she examined herself in the mirror and, not finding a single hair out of place, grinned and blew a playful kiss at her reflection.

In deference to the weather, she opted to wear her work boots, which were weatherproof, rather than any of her other shoes. The rain had been going non-stop for hours and the ground was drenched, meaning there were likely puddles everywhere. She'd do her best to avoid them but, as Juliet had demonstrated, accidents can happen. Slipping into her jacket, she made certain her wallet and phone were inside her purse, slung it over her shoulder, grabbed her umbrella, then left for the evening.

* * *

Victoria was just about to reach the saloon when she heard laughter coming from another path. Recognizing Taylor's voice, she slowed to a halt near the entrance and waited. A couple of moments later, both Taylor and Alyssa became visible in the gloom of the evening, stepping beneath a pair of lampposts. Alyssa, like Victoria, had on a light jacket and was carrying an umbrella, while Taylor dressed in a Western-style duster and wide-brimmed front pinch cowboy hat.

The pair caught sight of Victoria and smiled warmly. "Hey, Victoria," Taylor greeted. "Enjoying the weather?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Victoria replied. "The rain here is so much cleaner smelling than the city, that's for certain."

"God, you're telling me," Taylor agreed. "Especially in the summer, with the cold rain hitting the hot asphalt, bringing all the odors of spilled gas, leaky oil, exhaust, soot, garbage, and who knows what else." She made a gagging noise. "Just awful."

"So, what brings you out this evening?" Alyssa asked. "Didn't feel like cooking?"

"Juliet and Dana invited me, actually. Said that they and others like coming to the Saloon on rainy days to keep Stella company?"

"Absolutely right," Taylor said, then nodded towards the entrance. "So let's not keep her waiting."

"I second that," Alyssa said following Taylor, Victoria right behind.

The trio were greeted by not just the warmth of the building but also the wondrous scent of fresh-baked bread. Taylor took a deep sniff. "Oh, man, she's made buttered rolls," as she hung her hat on a nearby coat rack.

"She sure did," was Juliet's happy reply as she exited the arcade area to welcome the latest visitors to the saloon. "She and Dana are putting on the finishing touches on them now. And I don't know about you but I can't wait."

"Me, neither," Taylor said, doffing her long coat and hanging it on a nearby wall hook.

"Oh, by the way," Alyssa turned to Victoria, "umbrellas go here," she continued as she closed hers and placed it into an open half-sized barrel near the entrance. "That way, water doesn't go everywhere. You can hang your jacket on the wall hooks here."

"Thank you," Victoria said as she also put her umbrella away. She started removing her jacket but froze when she witnessed Juliet kiss Taylor quite warmly. It didn't look like a simple, friendly greeting, either. She recovered from her surprise quickly, hanging her jacket up next to Alyssa's, though her mind immediately went into overdrive trying to reconcile what she just saw. Was she wrong about Juliet and Dana being an item?

"How're you doing tonight?" Juliet asked as she gave Alyssa and hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Real good. You?"

"Better now that you're here." Juliet smiled at Alyssa's chuckle, then approached Victoria. "So glad you could make it," she said as she wrapped her arms around Victoria.

"Same," Victoria replied as she returned the hug. "Don't tell me you wiped out again."

"Hmm?" Juliet took a step back and tilted her head, curious. "What do you mean?"

Victoria motioned to Juliet's outfit. "I noticed you're wearing hose instead of your red tights from before. I was thinking that perhaps you slipped and fell into another puddle."

Juliet gave Victoria's arm a light smack. "Not even close," she said with a smile. "Just wanted to change. Oh, but speaking of laundry, yours is all done. But since I didn't want to take a chance of them getting wet and dirty if the plastic bag ripped on the way here, I left them at home. I'll swing by tomorrow, if that's okay?"

"That's perfectly fine. And thank you."

"You're welcome."

"The rolls are done!"

Victoria turned at the voice and saw Dana (who had changed from leggings to jeans) and Stella enter the saloon proper from the kitchen, each carrying a large serving tray loaded with glasses of ice, two pitchers of water, plates, several small ramekins, and serving baskets of rolls.

When Stella saw Victoria was present as well, she broke out into wide smile. "Hey, Victoria! Good to see you!"

"Good to see you, too. And those smell absolutely wonderful."

"Thanks!" was Stella's reply as she and Dana started setting everything down on one a pair of tables. "Okay, we have a double order of rolls, whipped butter, strawberry jam, grape jelly, and apple butter. And water to drink to start."

"Nice! I've always wanted to try apple butter," Taylor said as she grabbed a plate.

"It's a definitely different but has an interesting flavor," Alyssa stated.

Stella noticed Victoria was looking a bit puzzled and stepped closer. "On rainy days, since it's almost always just us girls, we do things a bit differently. Rolls, garlic bread, or whatever is like a catered appetizer course that everyone can enjoy. On the house, unless it's the only thing you want to eat. Then it's $5."

Victoria took a deep breath through her nose. "With as good as these rolls smell, that's certainly tempting, but I'm definitely in the mood for a full meal."

"Good to hear," Stella said with a smile, then continued. "We'll bum around a bit, snacking, order a drink, then once everyone has munched on a roll or three, I'll take everyone's dinner orders. We typically all eat together, too, but we won't hold it against you if you want more privacy."

"I wouldn't mind joining everyone, so long as I won't be in the way."

"Of course not. We're happy to have you join us. Oh, but if you do order a drink, since it'll be your first time here, I'll have to card you. Rules are rules."

"Good thing I came prepared," Victoria said, then opened her purse to get her drivers license. "I think I'll give one of your home brews a try."

Stella took a glance at Victoria's license and, catching the date of birth, nodded. "I have a wheat beer that I've been experimenting with, slightly sweet, or a more traditional hops beer."

"Let me try the wheat, please."

"You got it." Stella turned to the others. "Drinks? Anyone else?"

"Traditional beer for me," said Alyssa.

Taylor covered her mouth with one hand. "Glass of Linie, please."

"Jules will take a glass of the sweetest wine you have," Dana said. "I'll sip off of hers for now."

"Will do." Stella gave the room a smile and turned to the bar. "Enjoy the rolls, girls. I'll be right back."

Everyone did precisely that, and soon, everyone was mingling, chatting, and having a good time while enjoying a nice drink or two. For Victoria, it was similar to the hundreds of dinner parties she attended in the past, but unlike the majority of those, this one was actually fun. Not that some of the other ones weren't enjoyable but, as she explained to Dana and Juliet before, those events were always a battleground. She always had to be on guard, being incredibly careful of what she said and to whom. Here, though, Victoria could relax and simply enjoy herself.

It was quite refreshing. And a lot of fun.

Everyone had just placed their dinner orders and were contemplating perhaps starting a game of pool when the front door opened and in walked Chloe and Steph, the blue-haired punk's arm around the shorter girl's shoulders. "Yo!" came Chloe's casual greeting.

"There you are!" Juliet said as she approached the pair. "We were wondering what was taking you so long."

"Just catching up," Chloe said as she and Steph took off their jackets, both leather, then hung their beanies onto the coat rack. Chloe then stepped towards Juliet and, in a liquid smooth maneuver, wrapped her arms around Juliet's upper and lower back and dipped her backwards for an over-the-top romantic kiss. When she finished, she asked, "Didja miss me?" in a comically deep voice.

Still tilted backwards, Juliet made a show of thinking about it. "Hmm. Nope, not at all." She giggled as Chloe snorted out a laugh, then was easily lifted upright. "You two hanging in there?" she asked as she wrapped Steph into a hug.

"Oh, yeah," Steph replied, giving Juliet a kiss on the cheek as they separated. "A bit hungry, though."

"Grab a roll, then, and place your order," Dana said as she finished giving Chloe her hug. "We just placed ours so you're still right on time."

"Kick ass."

Chloe greeted Alyssa with a bro shake worthy of the Dillon/Dutch one seen in _Predator_ , but then caught sight of a newcomer to the crowd. "Behold, the mighty princess!"

"Only a princess?" Victoria asked with a smile that masked her surprise at Chloe's method of greeting Juliet. "And I was told I had graduated to Queen."

Chloe barked out a laugh as several others also snickered. "You're right, my bad." She stepped forward and offered a hand to Victoria, who reached forward to shake it. "Glad you got the invite, though."

"Same. Good evening, Steph," Victoria continued, reaching out to shake the other girl's hand.

"Nice to see you tonight," Steph said with a warm smile. 

The night continued, with everyone (except for Stella and Dana, who vanished to the kitchen to cook) drifting over to the arcade area to start a round of pool or drop a few quarters into the arcade machines. Victoria, who was never really good at video games, opted to play pool against Chloe and Steph. She was only partially focused on the game, though. The rest of her was busy observing her surroundings, trying to work out the room's dynamics. And couldn't quite make heads or tails of it.

Juliet and Dana were obviously _something_ , evidenced by their behavior back at Victoria's place. But that didn't explain the way that Taylor greeted Juliet. Or, hell, the way Chloe greeted Juliet. Friends simply didn't kiss like that. Period. Dana didn't even blink, though. She just waited until Chloe was finished, then proceeded to greet her with a bright smile and a long hug. Like how friends should greet. Right?

Right.

Things only got more confusing when she took into account how Stella had greeted her guests, kissing both Chloe and Alyssa. Taylor didn't get a kiss but their hug was just as warm as all the others Victoria had seen. Steph had kissed everyone, though always on the cheek. Except Victoria, but she certainly didn't take offense. Their relationship was still brand new and Steph was likely playing it safe. Dana had kissed Taylor, hugged Alyssa, shook hands with Victoria. Stella also shook hands with Victoria but for a moment, it seemed like she wanted to do more. But that had to be her imagination, right?

Right.

Conversation remained light and fun, and when dinner was served, continued over their meal. The entire experience reminded Victoria of her family's meals. Well, immediate family, anyway. Some of her extended family were honestly just as bad as the corporate world she ditched, meaning that large gatherings, such as holidays or graduations, were filled with probing questions, backhanded compliments, and thinly-veiled condescension. Still, it wasn't all bad as those gatherings did give Victoria the opportunity to whip out a set of verbal daggers and leave a trail of bloodied egos in her wake, and there was honestly no better target than a pair of close-minded aunts with more arrogance than common sense, right?

Goddamn right.

The highlight of the evening conversation was over dessert, when Victoria recounted her first encounter with Chloe at the bus stop. Everyone paid rapt attention to the story and, when it was finished, heaped mountains of praise upon Victoria for beating Chloe at her own game.

"Whew!" Stella made a production out of fanning her face. "Now _I'm_ all hot and bothered."

Everyone laughed at that, then Steph shook her head. "I never thought I'd see the day I'd see you one-upped," she said, turning to Chloe.

Who shrugged. "Hey, I'm woman enough to admit defeat in the face of a superior force," she said with a grin.

Juliet turned and gave Chloe several pokes to her shoulder. "That's fine but you should also apologize for making such a bad first impression, you big jerk."

"Okay, okay," Chloe said, playfully swatting Juliet's hand away before facing Victoria. "Sorry I was an ass before. No hard feelings?"

"None whatsoever," Victoria said. "But my first impression of you wasn't a bad one. Remember, the very first thing you said to me was a warning about the bus not arriving for an hour, so it's best to wait it out at the bar. You were watching out for a complete and total stranger, which says a lot about your character." She smirked. "It was afterwards that you had your fun, but then again, so did I. It's not very often I get to play that role, after all."

"Oh?" Stella leaned forward. "What role is that?"

"Sapphic seductress." Victoria grinned. "Back in Seattle, shit like that would earn you a one-way trip to the HR department, so I always had to hold myself back. It felt good to let loose and play around a bit. Nothing serious, of course. No harm, no foul."

"Lemme know if you ever wanna get serious," Chloe said with a waggle of her eyebrows, then flinched backwards with a laugh when Juliet started poking her again.

"That's enough outta you," Juliet said with a mock frown.

"On a related note," Steph began, ignoring the antics of her two friends, "since you seemed to play the part of Sapphic seductress so well, may I ask if you're by any chance gay or perhaps bi?" She lifted her hands from the table. "If it's none of our business, though, just say so."

Victoria shook her head. "No, it's all good. No one here comes across as, shall we say, intolerant, so I don't mind answering." She turned in her seat and reached for her purse that was hanging over the back of her chair. "But as luck would have it, I actually have a visual aid I'd like to share." Everyone watched as Victoria withdrew a miniature envelope from her purse, about the size of a credit card, then carefully removed something from inside. She handed it over to Steph with a polite, "Please be careful with this. It has a lot of sentimental value."

"Sure thing." Steph took careful hold of what looked like a standard dollar bill and gently unfolded it. Then blinked. It was obviously not genuine, as it held a portrait of Victoria instead of George Washington or any other president, but was a pretty good fake nonetheless, having serial numbers, the Department of Treasury seal, microprinting, the works. But when Steph finally noticed the denomination of the bill, she started laughing.

Victoria grinned. She figured Steph might catch the reference. "My eldest brother made that for me after I came out to my parents when I was fourteen. He had heard the phrase, 'queer as a three dollar bill,' and decided to make it into a reality." She watched as Steph showed the fake $3 bill to the others, who leaned forward to get a better look. "Long story short, I am very happily gay."

She didn't expect any blowback from her announcement, not after witnessing everyone pretty much kissing everyone else earlier in the evening, and figured she'd just get some nods, perhaps a couple of questions about her family's acceptance of her. Instead, and to her surprise, everyone turned to face her, varying degrees of excitement on their faces. "Yes...?"

As she did Monday evening, Dana shot her hand up like she was back in school. "Dibs!"

"Hey!"

The completely unexpected response made Victoria blink, who watched as nearly everyone at the table protested Dana's actions, with Juliet even trying to tug Dana's arm down. Things quickly devolved from there as everyone started arguing over one another, though Victoria could tell it wasn't serious at all. More like friendly banter. She felt someone pat her hand and turned to see Steph looking at her.

"Sorry about this," Steph said as she handed the $3 bill back to Victoria. "Dana's tolerance for wine is rather low and it makes her kind of silly. She tries to moderate herself but enjoys the flavor a lot, so she always forgets. She didn't mean to offend."

Victoria shook her head. "Trust me, I'm not offended." She tucked the bill back into the envelope and put it back in her purse while nodding towards the still-arguing group. "Just surprised. That certainly wasn't the reaction I was expecting, not by a long shot."

"Everyone's just happy to get confirmation that you swing that way," Steph explained. "Me as well, to be honest. You've definitely caught the eye of everyone here but we weren't sure if you liked girls." She smiled. "And now that we know, you can expect more than a few dating prospects, if, you know, you're interested in dating at all. We certainly won't push if you're not."

"I..." The situation was so incongruous that Victoria couldn't help but stumble over her words. She took a couple of moments to parse her reply, then blinked. "Wait. You said 'we.'"

"Yes, that's right."

"As in, everyone at this table."

Steph nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Because I'm the new gay girl?"

"Because you're interesting, fun to talk to, friendly, and a hard worker who also has a wide variety of interests," Steph clarified, then grinned. "And hot as hell, of course."

"Of course," Victoria agreed, then smiled at Steph's snort of amusement. "But I'm a bit confused. Take those two, for instance," she stated, motioning towards Juliet and Dana, who were now locked in a vicious thumb-wrestling contest while the others cheered them on. "I saw how they behaved when they were over at my place earlier and even considering how Chloe and Taylor kissed Juliet, there's no way they're not an item. Are they included in the 'we' as well?"

There was a moment of confusion as Steph pondered the question before she broke out into an understanding smile. "Oh, damn. Wow. I've been living here so long, I forgot that we do things super different in Pelican than the rest of the world. One sec." She turned, reached for her spoon, and started tapping the side of her mostly empty glass, the ringing catching the attention of the other girls. "Ladies, may I have your attention?"

Dana used the distraction to pin Juliet's thumb in place, ignoring her indignant cry of "Cheater!" then turned to face Steph. "What's up?"

"We fumbled our diplomacy check." Steph gave Victoria's hand another pat, then continued. "Even though it's only been a few days, Victoria fits so well into our little community that we completely forgot she doesn't know about us and how we handle relationship things."

Everyone collectively blinked before realization struck. There was a collective, "Ooooooh," as everyone retook their seats. "We kind of missed explaining that, didn't we?" Stella asked rhetorically.

"Well, the subject never came up before," Steph stated, "and there wasn't a good way to introduce it before we knew for certain." She smirked. "I suppose the drinks helped move that along, though."

"Sorry, girls," Dana apologized, ducking her head low. "I hope I didn't ruin things."

"You didn't ruin anything," Victoria stated before anyone else could. She didn't like how abashed Dana was sounding right now and wanted to clear the air right away. "I took no offence at what you said." She grinned as a thought occurred to her. "Seriously, if I wasn't offended by Chloe being a ginormous jerkass last night, I'm certainly not going to be when a cute girl calls dibs on me."

Dana's face turned scarlet at that. "Um, thanks." She relaxed when Juliet reached over and laced their fingers together.

Steph turned back to Victoria and explained. "Pelican happens to be home to the highest ratio of non-hetero individuals I've ever seen. Everyone at this table is either gay or bi, and, with the exception of Jas and Vincent, every other person in town is, at the very least, not strictly straight."

"Really?" Victoria asked.

"Yep!" Taylor answered with grin. "I'm convinced that Stardew Valley is blessed or protected or something because of that. I mean, seriously, what are the odds that everyone who lives here or moves here is gay, bi, pan, or what have you?"

"I don't know about blessed," Chloe interjected, "but there's no denying that if there is a huge, gay rainbow out there, Pelican is the pot of gold at the end."

Everyone snickered at that, then Stella spoke up. "Everyone living here has always been not just tolerant, but incredibly warm and accepting of others. It's made things super easy for us to get along."

"And therein lies the problem," Alyssa continued. "Take a bunch of young gay, bi, whatnot, girls together who're all interesting people, interested in each other, and group all of them into one fairly small area, and what do you get?"

"Either the absolute worst season of _Survivor_ ever conceived by man, or the world's first all gay _Bachelorette_ where no one is ever voted off," Victoria replied.

Her answer caused a round of chuckles. "Very true," Steph said, smiling wide. "We knew what could potentially happen and didn't want things like jealousy to wreck our friendships. So, a while back, we all talked it out and worked out a methodology."

"Date whoever but be open about it," Dana stated. "Be aware of each other's choices, respect everyone boundaries, and if there is a conflict, talk it out as soon as possible."

"Open and honest communication is key," Juliet said. "We all like each other, are close to each other, and love and respect one another, so we all worked super hard to make this work."

"And while the path to get to where we are now wasn't perfect, we're pretty happy with the results," Stella said, then smiled warmly. "Because Pelican seems to attract like-minded girls like us, when we heard you had moved in, we hoped that you might be as well. But, we weren't going to push."

"Which I greatly appreciate," Victoria stated, then sat back to think about everything that was shared with her. It was almost like a codified Free Love movement and was so extremely different than anything she had ever encountered in the past that she honestly didn't know how to take it. She looked around the table, saw how everyone was eagerly awaiting her response, and knew she had to say something. "Would anyone be upset if I said I needed some time to wrap my head around this development?"

Various "noes" and the like sounded out from the group. "Please, take your time," Stella answered, "because more than anything, we want to be your friend. And no matter what else happens, we never want you to be uncomfortable around us. Should you decide that this isn't for you, we'll accept that. Well, with a couple of exceptions," she added, then jerked a thumb in Chloe's direction.

"What?" Chloe protested. "What did I do?"

Juliet proceeded to poke Chloe in the shoulder again. "We all know you and we know that even if Victoria says she's not interested in dating, you're not gonna stop being a flirtatious Casanova."

Taylor giggled. "Fortunately, Victoria's already proven she can handle Chloe quite easily, so I wouldn't worry too much."

"You got that right!" Dana declared.

The conclusion of the conversation also marked the end of the meal, and soon, everyone was stacking plates up neatly and placing them on the serving trays to be taken to the kitchen. When Victoria saw everyone helping with the cleanup duties, she pitched in as well and the saloon was in pristine condition in no time. The night was still young, though, and no one wanted to head home just yet, so they continued to hang out, play some pool, dance around the jukebox, and drink, enjoying each other's company while having a great time.

And through it all, Victoria wondered if she really could be part of this unbelievably gay network of incredibly desirable ladies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember where I stated it before (likely in the comments section of one of these works of mine) but I've never been a fan of dragging things out unnecessarily and loathe the trope of misunderstanding something, making assumptions, and never talking about it. While what happened in the previous chapter, with Victoria assuming that Juliet was going to be completely unobtainable, isn't exactly the same thing, I also wanted to nip that in the bud. And what better way than to have everyone sit down and lay their cards on the table?
> 
> So, what'll happen now that Victoria knows about how the girls of Pelican operate? Will she deign to join their network and date these wonderful ladies? I believe the answer to that is "No shit, Sherlock." However, since she's not the type of person to dive right into anything (something I hinted at in chapter 11 at the end of the not-date), the dates won't start right away. Which will also give me ample time to introduce the last three characters yet to make their appearance: Brooke, Kate, and Rachel. I'm hoping those chapters will come easier and quicker since I have a solid idea for each of their scenes but, alas, we'll see.
> 
> Thank you all for continuing to read this story! I really appreciate it. Stay safe out there!


	18. The Fishmonger, Brooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came pretty quick, so I see no reason not to share it right away. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> As always, my Tumblr can be found [here](https://ehc-on-ao3.tumblr.com/)

It was right before 6:00 AM when Victoria left her home, dressed for the day. After enjoying a breakfast of buttered toast and coffee, she decided to explore the one area of Pelican that she hadn't seen yet: the beach. She took her camera along as well, figuring there might be some good opportunities for photos there and on the way.

And she was right. The walk to the beach was a pleasant one and quite photogenic, too. The air was crisp and clean, no doubt helped by yesterday's rainfall, and a touch cool, making Victoria thankful she opted to wear her flannel. She snapped several photos as she went, of the buildings, the lampposts, a lone park bench, a budding flower in a bush, a small spider's web covered in dew. She was careful to avoid aiming her camera at any residential windows, though, just in case someone was awake. No need to get a rep as a peeping Tom, after all.

Taking all the photos made her think of Max. She hadn't been at the saloon last night, which was a shame, but considering how shy she was, it wasn't surprising. Victoria could only assume that Max cooked at home most days, if not every day, but did wonder if she ever got out to shop for groceries at Pierre's. But then, she remembered that Juliet delivered groceries for the store regularly, so it was likely Max texted Juliet her grocery needs which were delivered later in the day. And Juliet, being Juliet, likely used the constant deliveries as an opportunity to make friends with the shy girl.

When Victoria finally entered the beach proper, she was completely blown away. It was absolutely beautiful, comprised of actual honest to goodness sand rather than the pebbles and rocks of the beaches further north. Piles of driftwood were off her right, no doubt placed there by the tides, while a simple cottage was to her left. Beyond the cottage was a network of shoals, though the bridge that connected it to the beach appeared out of commission. Up ahead were the docks that stretched well into the bay, with decent-sized building built in the middle.

A beautiful and secluded beach for a town of less than thirty people, meaning a distinct lack of noise pollution and litter? Talk about a score! Victoria was definitely coming back when summer rolled around.

She made her way to the docks, snapping the occasional photo as she went, using the tall pilings as make-shift camera stand for a few of them. She got a few really nice shots of the horizon, a seagull floating in the water, and what might've been the fin of a dolphin further in the bay. All great subjects. She turned to take a look at the building, curious as to what it was, and paused. There, standing at a wide, plastic folding table right next to the building's front door, stood a girl (short, Asian features, glasses, black hair with red streaks dyed in) tinkering on a laptop with a sizeable drone nearby. She hadn't taken any notice of Victoria, completely engrossed with whatever she was working on. Guessing that this was probably Brooke whom Stella and Juliet mentioned, Victoria took a couple of steps closer to introduce herself. "Good morning."

"Hey."

Hmm. Not the most... friendly of responses. Undaunted, Victoria tried again. "May I ask what you're working on?"

"Updating the fishing software."

That answer made Victoria blink. Fishing? With a drone? She took a more careful look at the drone that was plugged into the laptop and it finally clicked. "Ah, that makes sense."

The girl paused in her typing and turned to Victoria, slightly confused. "What do you mean, 'that makes sense?' Do you actually know what this is?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. This is the HiFly drone, model D-2400, EXO line with the W package. You can tell by the pontoon-esque floats mounted to the undercarriage," Victoria explained, pointing out the feature. "Between 1 to 1.5 kilometer range, water proof up to 25 meters, with the so-called black box rated up to 150." She smirked. "That's just what's on the warranty, though. The black box can easily survive triple that and still be recovered intact."

The girl blinked owlishly at her before finally picking up her jaw from the floor. "How the hell did you know all that?"

"I was on the marketing team that pushed to have this and a few other models approved," Victoria explained. "The corporate bigwigs considered drones a fad and didn't want to put any actual effort into them. My team believed otherwise, and we convinced them that producing a larger, more durable drone than our competitors would be a worthwhile investment. And we were right." She motioned to the drone once more. "Our Exploration model allowed us to break into several new markets previously untouched by the competition and our interchangeable environmental packages gave our drones unprecedented flexibility. The Water package you have was designed for use around lakes, rivers, and the ocean, and is ideal for activities such as whale spotting, aerial reconnaissance for schools of fish, and to combat poachers."

There was a long pause as the girl processed that info, then finally stuck her hand out. "Brooke Scott."

Victoria shook Brooke's hand, noting the girl's much warmer countenance. "Victoria Chase. A pleasure."

"Same." Brooke relaxed her stance. "So, what's a HiFly rep doing all the way out here?"

"I'm not a HiFly representative, actually," Victoria corrected. "Never was. I was on their parent company's marketing team as a way to get experience before moving onto a different department."

"Gotcha." A chime from the laptop caught Brooke's attention. "Then, if you're not a HiFly rep, what brings you all the way to Pelican?" she asked as she clicked finish on the updates. "We're kinda out of the way."

"I moved here Sunday to take over Grandpa's old farm."

"Wait." Brooke turned back to Victoria, realization dawning on her face. " _You're_ the new girl!" she said, finally breaking out into a smile. "Sorry, the name didn't click before. Juliet told me about you Monday but I forgot."

Victoria waved that aside. "No worries. I'm just sorry I didn't make it to the beach before today. I would've introduced myself sooner if I had."

Brooke shrugged. "Eh, it's whatever." After disconnecting the USB cable, she grabbed hold of her drone and lifted it from the table like it weighed nothing. "Juliet mentioned you moved here from a previous job in Seattle but didn't mention what, exactly. So, white collar corporate drone?"

"In a way," Victoria replied as she followed Brooke down the dock a bit. "I was moved from department to department to get a feel for the entire organization before settling into a management position. The problem is, after a few years, I grew to absolutely hate it. So, after remembering the farm that Grandpa left me, I quit and moved here."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Huh." Brooke shook her head. "One hell of a 180, if you don't mind me saying, and risky as all get out."

"Trust me, I'm well aware."

"Still," Brooke continued as she set the drone down on a section of the dock marked with a large white letter H surrounded by a white circle, "I gotta respect the massive brass balls it must've taken to quit an established job to take over a farm you know nothing about."

Victoria smirked. "Respect instead of derision?"

"I make an effort to know a bit about someone before I decide to mock them," Brooke stated as she started back to her laptop. "And what little info's been shared so far doesn't cut it."

"Too bad you weren't at the Saloon last night, then. All of us were sharing stories and getting to know one another."

"And finding out you're gay," Brooke said with a smirk. "I got the text last night from Juliet, right around that time. Here, check it." She unlocked her cell phone, tapped her messaging app, then handed it over. The message was short and sweet:

SHE'S GAY!!!! <3 <3 <3

Victoria snorted out a laugh as she handed the phone back. "Good thing it wasn't a huge secret or anything."

"If it was, I guarantee she wouldn't have said anything," Brooke said as she put her phone back on the table. "As nosy as she can be at times, she's really good about what to keep to herself."

"Which is something she told me before but it is nice to get confirmation. If I may ask, though, why didn't we see you last night?"

"I typically try to be there but spring is catfish season," Brooke explained, "and they're way easier to catch on rainy days than not and I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to stock up. I'm planning on swinging by Stella's after I'm done here to see if she wants to make a purchase. She makes a kickass fried catfish filet, let me tell you."

"I'll have to check that out later, then." Victoria motioned to the laptop. "I take it you're looking for a good place to drop your lines?"

"Close. I'm actually trying to get a bead on where to drop a few lobster traps. The water in the bay is pretty clear, meaning I can get a pretty good visual all the way to the bottom. I don't have many traps, though, and my boat's small, so I try everything I can to maximize my efforts and not waste time."

"Smart." Victoria watched as Brooke picked up what appeared to be an oversized video game controller with a few extra levers and knobs, then flipped up a red toggle switch and pressed the button beneath. A soft whirring sound came from the drone and when Victoria glanced over, saw the propellers had started up. "Well, since you're about to get really busy, I'll take my leave and get out of your way."

"Did you want to fly it?"

The unexpected offer made Victoria pause. "Are you sure? I've never flown a drone before and I'd hate to be the one responsible for crashing it."

Brooke smiled. "Fortunately, that's pretty tough to do with all the safety measure I have in place. The drone's programmed to not get closer than three feet from the water's surface so even if you dive bomb the water, you can't crash it. I've programmed it to not stray beyond a 800 meters from it's starting position, so you can't send it out into the ocean, either. And should the battery fall below 30%, it's programmed to come back to it's starting position. It'll even land itself if the power drops below 10%, so long as it can detect the landing pad."

"The big H you painted," Victoria pointed out.

"Exactly." Brooke held the controller out to Victoria. "Here, give it a whirl. I'll give you some instructions. Worst case scenario and you completely suck, _then_ I'll mock you."

Victoria snorted in amusement as she took hold of the controller. "That's fair."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out a lot faster than I anticipated but thinking about it, that's what all the other introductory chapters were like as well. Having the camera focused on just two people makes the dialogue flow much faster. Plus, since it's an intro, there's no real need to get too lengthy. My goal with this one was to bring Brooke into the story and explain her absence in a way that makes sense.
> 
> Brooke being standoffish until Victoria shares her knowledge about the drone is a blatant callback to the game itself. All the stuff about Brooke's drone is completely made up by me. I borrowed the name of the drone from the game itself, then expanded upon it.
> 
> The way in which Victoria shared her knowledge about the drone, coached like a sales pitch, was a deliberate choice. She comes from a corporate background, after all, and will sometimes slip back into that tone and timbre without thinking about it. She was, however, careful not to name the parent company she worked for as she doesn't necessarily want to share that just yet, though anyone with a similar corporate background (Courtney) or anyone curious enough (Juliet), can find out easily enough.
> 
> This might be foreshadowing. ;-)
> 
> Coming up in the next few chapters: introducing Kate, Victoria meets with Courtney again, and on Friday, Rachel makes her debut. Thanks for reading!


	19. The Tutor, Kate

Victoria would up spending far more time than she anticipated flying Brooke's drone. It was a completely new experience for her but one she enjoyed quite a bit. Despite knowing she wasn't that good at video games, she had no problems handling the controller and with a few tips from Brooke, soon had the drone ducking, weaving, and dancing in no time at all. Her enthusiasm rubbed off onto Brooke, who hadn't really flown her drone for anything outside of work for a while now, and helped her to rediscover the joy of flying purely for fun. She did mark on her digital map several likely places to lay her traps but soon after, showed Victoria how to do a loop de loop and a corkscrew maneuver.

When all was said and done, both girls were surprised at how much time had elapsed. "Holy shit, it's just past 8:00," Brooke said after glancing at the clock on her laptop.

Victoria blinked. "Damn. Time really does fly when you're having fun."

Brooke landed her drone onto the makeshift helipad. "Tell me about it. I haven't just cut loose like that in a while. No regrets, though."

"Does that mean I haven't kept you from anything critical?"

"Nope," Brooke said with a shake of her head. "Stella's not up until around 10 and I typically don't try to stop by to sell my inventory until 11, anyway. And I don't actually open my shop until 9 at the earliest, so no one bothers to stop in for another hour yet."

"What about laying your lobster traps?"

"I've already missed the best window, but since it's a bit early in the season anyway, I'm not worried. Tomorrow's early enough to drop them. Plus, this gives me plenty of time to tinker with the drone, get her cleaned up and maintained."

"That's good to hear." Figuring that now was a good time to call it a morning, Victoria reached a hand out. "It was a ton of fun."

"Likewise," Brooke replied, giving Victoria's hand a shake. "Stop in anytime. I do have odd hours, though, since I regularly leave to fish, either out in the bay, or around the Valley. I send out a group text when I do so people know not to swing in around that time."

"Smart. And I will definitely stop in again to purchase some fish, just as soon as I find a decent recipe to try."

"I have several of those on tap, too," Brooke said. "Gotta know my wares, after all. So if you need any tips or suggestions, I got you covered."

"Good to know." Victoria took a step back. "See you around."

"Likewise."

* * *

A few minutes later and Victoria was crossing the threshold from the beach to Pelican proper. Whether it was man-made or a natural occurrence, a decent-sized foredune separated the beach from the rest of the town, acting as a windbreak. The pathway that was cut through it was S-shaped, to help prevent any winds from carrying sand straight into town. It seemed to be doing the trick as the town side was mostly devoid of sand.

Halfway across the stone bridge that connected the beach to the town proper, Victoria stopped and simply took in the view. Again, she marveled at how much she loved this place, it's calm and peaceful nature so different than what she knew before. She knew she'd be busy as hell on her farm starting tomorrow, when her tools were finished at Alyssa's, but even then, she didn't anticipate the same level of stress she suffered in Seattle. And that's not even considering the possibility of, well, romance.

Maybe?

She shook her head, a small smile on her face. Last night was amazing, to put it mildly. Even having slept on it, she still wasn't quite sure what to make of the idea of simply dating anyone and/or everyone. (Everyone. Now there was a novel concept.) She certainly didn't consider it a bad idea, though. Far from it. Just, different. And different enough that she still hadn't made any decisions about it.

Thankfully, everyone was incredibly understanding and accepting of her needing time to process. And, just because she wasn't actively trying to date anyone at the moment didn't mean she wasn't going to still talk to everyone and try to make friends. Like Brooke, whom she just met. The girl came across as a bit standoffish at first but warmed up considerably once Victoria proved herself as competent, a personality type she'd encountered numerous times back in Seattle. She wondered briefly if Brooke's attitude had something to do with her relative youth (too many times, Victoria had witnessed those in power dismiss others based entirely on that fact alone) but shook it off as unimportant speculation. Should they continue to converse and a true friendship did blossom, she'd find out then. Until such time, Victoria would keep things friendly and, hopefully, Brooke would reciprocate.

As she made her way back into town, Victoria came across something she had missed previously: a cemetery. Though small, it was beautifully maintained and unlike others she had seen before, was relatively open to foot traffic, only having a wooden fence on one side and a hedge wall on another. She counted six grave markers total, four upright, two flat, with most of them being quite aged. Not wanting to walk through the graveyard (not that she was scared or superstitious, but rather it seemed a bit disrespectful to tread through the area since she didn't know any of the occupants), she lifted her camera to use its zoom to read the headstones, then paused.

Right past the hedge wall was the girl she saw Tuesday morning, Kate, if she remembered Taylor correctly. Like before, she was dressed in a conservative skirt (this time gray in color), white blouse, and black cardigan. Figuring this was as good a time as any to introduce herself, Victoria lowered her camera, reattached the lens cap, then made her way around the wooden fence.

As Victoria had hoped, the sound of her footsteps on the cobblestone path caught Kate's attention, who looked up as she closed the cover of her drawing pad, a polite smile on her face. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you as well," Victoria greeted with a friendly smile, then reached out her hand. "My name's Victoria."

"And I'm Kate," was Kate's reply as she reached out to give Victoria's hand a brief shake. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Victoria withdrew her hand. "I saw you briefly on Tuesday, walking with a couple of little ones. Jas and Vinnie, I think?"

"Vincent," Kate corrected, her smile growing warmer. "I tutor both of them everyday in the mornings, usually at the library. I'm sorry I didn't notice you then. I would have introduced myself."

"No need to apologize," Victoria said with a slight shake of her head. "I didn't consider myself ready to speak to children at that time, so it was probably for the best that we missed each other."

"Oh?" Kate tilted her head slightly. "And what about now?"

Victoria shrugged. "I read a book?" She grinned when Kate giggled in response.

"I'm sorry," Kate said, raising a hand to cover her mouth. "I'm not mocking you, I promise."

"I know," Victoria said easily. "And since my goal was to make you laugh, I'd say it worked."

"It did, indeed." Kate motioned to the bench. "Won't you join me?"

"Thank you." Victoria took a seat and relaxed. "I take it you're an artist as well as a tutor?" she asked, nodding towards the sketch pad on Kate's lap.

"Not quite," Kate replied, still smiling. "I do enjoy drawing and sketching, though."

"Anything in particular?"

"Whatever catches my fancy. Nature, mostly, such as flowers, trees, animals, things like that." Kate hesitated only briefly. "Would you like to see?" she asked Victoria.

Who caught the momentary pause and replied, "I'd be delighted, but only if you want to show me." She gave Kate a friendly smile. "Don't feel you have to. We just met, after all, and as much as I've tried reading up on how to speak to others, it's possible that I've already given you a bad first impression. If so, I'll have to go back, study some more, and request a do-over."

Kate giggled again. "You've given me the exact opposite of a bad first impression. In fact, I can see what Juliet said about you being a considerate charmer is quite true."

Victoria raised an eyebrow at that. "A considerate charmer, you say?"

"Oh!" Kate blushed (rather cutely, Victoria thought) and raised her hands to cover her lips. "Oh, I didn't mean to let that slip out. You won't tell her I told you, will you?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"My lips are sealed. Promise."

"Thank you." Kate patted her cheeks lightly, as if trying to physically push her blush away. "Um, I'll have to apologize to her later. I don't remember if she said that in confidence."

Shrugging slightly, Victoria said, "While I can't claim to know her nearly as well as you do, I'm absolutely certain she won't mind at all. She's the type that values honesty and respects forthrightness."

Kate nodded after a moment. "You're right, of course," she said. "And I do tend to worry about nothing." She gave Victoria a smile. "But, enough about that. Instead, let me show you something." She opened her sketch pad and flipped to a specific page, then tilted the pad towards Victoria. "What do you think?"

Victoria saw the near-photo realistic drawing of the rabbit before her and let out a silent whistle, impressed. "This is phenomenal." She reached forward but didn't actually touch the drawing, for fear of smearing the graphite. "The detail you have on the fur, the reflection in the rabbit's eyes, the shadowing, it's incredible."

Kate flushed slightly at the compliments. "Thank you."

"And I'm also digging the little cartoon versions you did here," Victoria continued, pointing to the various anthropomorphized versions of the same bunny near the bottom of the page. "I'm usually not one for cutesy stuff but I would love to have such a drawing hanging on my wall or fridge."

"Really?"

Victoria nodded. "Definitely. Like this one right here," she said, pointing to a rabbit that was wearing a fedora. "I'd call him Jack Bun if he was a detective, or Indiana Bun if he was an adventurer."

Kate laughed at the names, then brought the drawing pad back to her lap. "I'm so glad to hear you say that you like them." She gently brushed her fingertips across the cartoon characters. "It's been my dream to do a children's book," she admitted. "Writing and drawing one. I just wasn't sure if my work was good enough for something like that. I know everyone else likes them, but as insulated as we are in the Valley, it's easy to think everyone's just being nice." She turned and gave Victoria a bright smile. "But hearing you say that, as a newcomer to our town who hasn't seen these before, it means a lot. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

For a long moment, the two girls simply gazed at one another, Victoria finding herself mesmerized. There was no denying that Kate was cute as a button, but with the morning light shining on her face and giving her blond hair a bit of a glow, she looked positively angelic. The only thing missing from this moment was gentle harp music. Victoria was surprised to find herself torn between going for her camera or going for a kiss.

Thankfully, before she could embarrass herself either way, their moment was interrupted by the sound of children laughing. She and Kate turned and saw Vincent and Jas running towards them while Jodi and Marnie trailed behind. As Victoria watched, Kate's eyes lit up in delight. She placed her drawing pad onto the bench and slid from the bench to crouch low just as the children reached her, wrapping her in a huge hug.

"Good morning, Miss Kate!" they both greeted simultaneously.

"And good morning to you, too," Kate replied warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Yep!"

Kate let the pair go and leaned back a touch. "And did you have a yummy breakfast?"

"Uh-huh!" Vincent grinned. "Mommy let me have toast and jam with my cereal today."

"That's wonderful!" Kate said with a pleased grin. "I know that's your favorite."

"Auntie Marnie made me dollar pancakes," Jas happily said.

"Silver dollar," came Marnie's kind correction as she and Jodi approached. "And she finished her plate today, too."

"That's good to hear," Kate said with a smile, then turned slightly. "And can you say 'good morning' to Miss Victoria?"

Victoria blinked as both children turned to her and said, "Good morning, Miss Victoria."

"Good morning," was her reply that she hoped was warm and welcoming.

"Miss Victoria is new to the Valley," Kate continued, taking the pressure off of Victoria to find something to say, "so if you see her around town, make sure you give her a wave, okay?"

Both children nodded. "Okay!"

"Very good," Kate said with a nod, then stood. "Now, are you ready to learn something new today?"

"Yeah!" was their enthusiastic reply.

"Excellent. Let me gather my things and we'll head out." With that, Kate slipped her drawing pad into a nearby backpack and zipped it closed. After slinging the backpack over her shoulders, she reached out with both hands. "Now, take my hands so we can head over to the library, okay?"

"Okay!"

Before she walked away, though, Kate turned back to Victoria and gave her a warm smile. "Thanks for sharing the morning with me."

"My pleasure," Victoria replied. "I'll see you around."

"Until then."

Both Jas and Vincent waved at the tall blonde with their free hands. "Bye, Miss Victoria!"

Victoria grinned at the children's enthusiasm. "Bye-bye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming back to this story took a bit, but was a lot of fun. I had to reread certain sections, though, to ensure I had the correct pacing and tone down pat (working on Lone Victims tends to skew my thought processes a bit and I had to CTRL-ALT-DEL my head to get back into this one). Also, I nearly made a critical boo-boo while writing this: when Victoria first spied Kate through her camera, I had her wondering who Kate was, having forgotten that Taylor talked about her all the way back in chapter 5! A couple of edits later, and things made better sense.
> 
> As far as continuity is concerned, I'm working under the impression that Victoria has heard Jas and Vincent's names in passing earlier in the week, but, obviously, hadn't met them yet. I don't anticipate them having a huge presence in the work, but like all the other Stardew Valley characters, they might pop up from time to time to support a scene.
> 
> With Kate now introduced, that merely leaves Rachel as the last holdout. Never fear! I remember exactly what I wanted to do with her intro, which I'm hoping comes across as humorous, since I plan to have some fun with it. There's likely going to be one more chapter between then and now, though, between Victoria and Courtney. Why? You'll see. Nothing bad, though, promise! After all, this ain't that kind of fic.


	20. Research and Developments

The rest of the morning and afternoon went rather well. After Kate left with the children, Victoria had a friendly chat with Jodi and Marnie, about their son and niece, respectively. She also picked up a few tips and tricks for talking to Jas and Vincent in the future, which made her much more comfortable with the prospect should the occasion ever arise.

She spent the rest of the morning back on her property, surveying her land, and pre-planning her farm as much as she could: where to dig and plow, how far to go, where to plant stakes if needed, where to add sprinklers when she eventually upgraded to an irrigation system, etc. Thinking of irrigation reminded her to check on a couple of things in the barn, and it was a good thing she did. The watering cans she found were actually in great shape, just a bit dusty, which she could clean easily enough when the time came. The hose, however, was composed of 80% cracks and 20% disappointment, so had to be discarded. Thankfully, she remembered Pierre's carried hoses, so she'd swing by there to buy a couple after picking up her tools and wheelbarrow tomorrow.

Lunch was light and quick, and, when she sat down to eat, also reminded her about her chairs. Specifically, the lack of them. So, once she was finished cleaning up, she took several careful measurements of her dining room chair and snapped a few photos as well, to give to Robin for a quote. Since she was going out again, she checked her fridge to see if she needed to stock up on anything else. Quickly planning a few meals in her head, she decided she was full up on supplies with the exception of a something to act as a main course. She had a thought that perhaps she'd finally give fish a try, so a trip to Brooke's was also in order.

Speaking of supplies, though, Victoria remembered that she was now down to less than half a bottle of shampoo and while that wasn't disastrous, she felt it prudent to resupply now that she was thinking about it. Pierre, unfortunately, wasn't able to order her preferred brand from any of his suppliers, which meant she'd have to take a trip to Joja's today as well. She made a mental note to talk to Juliet about that fact later.

Victoria tapped her finger against her hip as she planned out the rest of her day. Probably not a good idea to buy fish first, then have to cart it around everywhere, so Brooke had to be last. So, Robin's first. It was the furthest away and she could easily hit Joja's on the way back. Then, head to Brooke's, and finally head back home. Giving herself a slight nod, she slipped back into her work boots, laced them up nice and snug, and left her little home.

Time to get some more hiking in today.

* * *

Victoria made her way south from Robin's, amused. The walk to reach the carpenter was way longer than the resulting chat once she reached her. To her mild surprise, Robin still had the schematics for Grandpa's chairs in her files and didn't need the measurements Victoria had taken.

"But I do appreciate you taking the time to do that and take photos," Robin said as she wrote out an invoice for Victoria's order. "Most everyone else forgets, meaning I have to make an extra trip just to take measurements, which delays the project."

"Which is what I figured," Victoria replied. "Is that also why you never throw out your blueprints and schematics?" she asked, pointing to the huge, blue binder that lay open on the counter.

"Exactly. While I do build my stuff to last, accidents can and do happen, and most everyone prefers their replacements to be identical to the original."

Victoria nodded. "Makes sense, though now I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Should I change up my order a bit, give you a change of pace?"

Robin laughed as she carefully tore the receipt free from her book. "No, you're good. It's been a while since I've made chairs so that'll be change enough. And here you go."

"Thanks," Victoria said as she pocketed the receipt. "About when should I swing by to pick them up?"

"They won't be ready until Saturday, but don't worry about trying to drag them back home. I'll load them up in my UTV and deliver them when they're done."

Victoria let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I wasn't looking forward to trying to figure out how to get them down the pass."

"I'm not going to let you ruin two brand new Robin Originals by letting you roll them down the mountain," Robin said with a smile. "Delivery's part of the package."

"I appreciate it."

"Of course." Robin reached out and the pair shook hands. "See you around."

"You as well."

Victoria crossed the bridge that connected "downtown" to Joja, once again marveling at the stonework involved. It and the other two bridges she'd seen and used were well-worn but absolutely built to last. She was curious as to who might've made them and how long ago. Something else to ask Mayor Lewis. But, later. Right now, she had a bit of shopping to do.

"Welcome to JojaMart!" came the same canned greeting from before. Victoria nodded politely to the cashier and made her way to the aisle that held hair care products, then smiled. "Hello, Dana."

Dana, who was on one knee, restocking the lower shelves, glanced up and gave Victoria a wide smile. "Hey, girl!" She stood and wiped her hands on her apron. "What brings you here?"

"Just picking up a bottle of shampoo," Victoria replied. "There was a minor mishap with the last one and I need to replace it."

"When Jules went all butter-fingers on you," Dana said with a small nod. "She told me about that."

"Accidents happen," Victoria said with a slight shrug. "No big deal." She motioned to Dana's apron. "You work on Thursdays, then?"

"Part-time, Monday through Thursday," Dana explained, then smiled. "And eventually, I'll work my way up the corporate ladder and finally earn my very own name badge."

Victoria laughed at her playful exuberance. "Everyone has to start somewhere."

"Victoria?"

Both Victoria and Dana turned to see Courtney standing at the end of the aisle. Victoria gave her a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, Courtney."

"Same to you," Courtney replied, then motioned towards the back of the store. "If I may ask for a moment of your time?"

"Certainly." Victoria turned to Dana and smiled. "I'll see you around."

"You, too."

Victoria turned and joined Courtney, then followed the district manager to an office situated away from the freezers lining the rear wall. Courtney opened the door and led the way inside. "I'm glad you stopped in today," Courtney stated as she closed the office door behind her, then motioned to a chair facing the wide desk. "You piqued my curiosity during your first visit and I wasn't certain how else to reach you."

"Oh?" Victoria replied as she took a seat. "I take it you're referring to my knowledge of your lipstick?"

Courtney sat in a comfortable leather chair behind the desk. "That's correct. To be able to correctly identify my makeup by sight alone is quite the feat, and so, I did some digging." She rested her hands on the desktop, laced her fingers together, and leaned forward. "Victoria Maribeth Chase, of Chase Enterprises. Youngest daughter of Christopher and Emily Chase. Three siblings with a twin brother, Victor. Graduated top of her class. Rising star of the corporate world, with every sign pointing towards her taking over at least a quarter of the family business." She smiled with the confidence of someone who held all the cards. "How am I doing so far?"

Victoria slowly crossed one leg over the other and clasped her hands together on her raised knee. "Courtney Wagner. Eldest daughter of Constance Wagner, independent author and artist. One sibling, a half-brother ten years her junior whom she absolutely adores and spoils whenever she visits. Worked two jobs to put herself through school, graduating in the top 2% of her class. A self-made woman whose only quirk is that she hates her middle name, and was once punished with in-school suspension for slapping someone who dared use it." She gave Courtney the same confident smile. "How am _I_ doing so far?"

There was a moment of silence as both women sized each other up before Courtney broke the stalemate by breaking out into a wide smile. "Damn. You _are_ good."

"I try," Victoria replied, relaxing into her seat as she saw Courtney do the same. "While I may not be in the family business any longer, I still have those connections and will use them if needed."

"And was it needed here?" Courtney asked.

"I suspected that you'd get curious about my identity after our initial meeting and would likely do some digging, so I decided to do the same."

"Smart." Courtney turned her chair to the right and opened her micro fridge that was close to her desk. "May I offer you a drink?"

"I'll take a bottle of water, if you have one handy."

"I certainly do." Courtney withdrew a mini-can of soda and a mini-bottle of water, handing the latter to Victoria. "Here you are."

"Thank you." Victoria raised an eyebrow when she saw Courtney pop the tab on a Diet Coke. "Not JojaCola?"

Courtney snorted. "Hell no. Between you, me, and the wall, their cola fucking sucks."

Victoria managed to choke down her bark of laughter, reminded of Taylor's less than graceful language. "And how does it feel to be a traitor to the Joja cause?" she joked as she twisted the cap free from her bottle.

"I don't know how it feels, but it tastes pretty damn good," Courtney replied, raising the can slightly in salute. She grinned at Victoria's small chuckle, then they both took a long drink.

"I take it you have questions," Victoria said as she lowered her bottle.

"A few, yes. The fact that you're here, in Pelican, isn't really a secret, that much I could determine. But then again, your reasons for coming here are all your own. It really isn't my place to ask."

"But if you don't," Victoria countered, "how else will we get to know one another?"

That caught Courtney off-guard. "Would you really want to?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Victoria asked. "You're intelligent, a hard worker, obviously dedicated, attractive, and despite what your Facebook profile might state, I honestly don't think you hate pop music nearly as much as you claim." She smiled. "In my book, that means interesting, and I enjoy getting to know interesting people."

It had been a while since anyone had complimented Courtney on anything, much less her looks, and had to take a moment to reset. "While I don't doubt your sincerity, having no reason to lie, even you have to admit that you'd be the first. Everyone else in this town sees me as the devil incarnate."

"Their loss, my gain," was Victoria's easy reply. "Plus, I don't know if you're aware, but I've actually worked with the devil incarnate. Then took great pleasure in demoting him to middle management."

Courtney laughed at that. "I've worked with enough blowhards to appreciate how good that might've felt." She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "And between you, me, and the wall, I do have a fondness for 80's music."

Victoria leaned forward and matched Courtney's tone. "Anyone with taste does." The pair shared a grin before sitting back, Victoria taking another sip of water. "So, Madonna? Cyndi Lauper?"

"Yes," Courtney said with a nod, "though I did have a soft spot for Joan Jett."

"For her music, for her fashion, or for the way she looked in leather pants?"

Courtney's smile was wide. "All of the above." She laughed when Victoria reached forward with her water bottle and reciprocated the motion. "To 80's music?"

"And to baby gay crushes," Victoria replied.

"Hear, hear!" Courtney said as they toasted their respective drinks, then knocked back the rest of her Coke. "Been a while since I've had a friendly chat like this. Never expected to have one here."

"And I never figured I'd run into such a consummate professional out here in the boonies," Victoria replied as she replaced the cap on her now-empty bottle. "You're far too professional in thought, word, and deed to be stuck in the middle of nowhere like this, so what's the deal?"

Courtney took a moment to think. She'd been asking herself that exact same question for months now and still didn't have an answer. Perhaps talking about it with someone would shine a light on the mystery? Still, she had to be cautious. "Between you, me, and the wall?"

"Certainly," Victoria said with a nod.

"Good. I know the town's resident investigative reporter's been trying to figure out why we're here, but that's not something I'm able to share."

Victoria grinned. "Juliet's determined, that's for certain, but I understand not wanting rumors to spread, especially if it could result in lawsuits. You have my word that she won't hear anything from me unless you give permission otherwise."

"I appreciate it, though you misunderstand. It's not that I'm not allowed to share the info; it's that there's none to give." Courtney gave a slight shrug. "I don't know why I'm here, why this store was built in this location, why I'm being paid nearly double the starting salary of a district manager to ensure I remain, or why the company continues to tolerate this store operating in the red ever since the doors opened."

Victoria couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at the confession. Talk about coming from left field! "Interesting..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [cheesy organ music]
> 
> *gasp* A mystery? In Stardew Valley?? And what will out intrepid heroines discover? Tune in next week to find out more!
> 
> [/cheesy organ music]
> 
> So yes, there is a bit of intrigue here, though since this is Stardew Valley, it's not going to be some world-shattering deal or anything like that. Rather, it has to do with my long-term plans for Courtney, something that came about when I first planned the fic. More shall be revealed as the story continues, perhaps as early as the next chapter. We'll just have to wait and see.
> 
> Having Victoria and Courtney interact more was a goal of mine. I wanted to show what Courtney was like with her shields partially down, and how there's more to her than just her game counterpart, Morris. Also, that little moment of her language reminding Victoria of Taylor was deliberate and hearkens back to Life Is Strange and the fact that the three hung out together. Could this be the beginning of that power trio showing up in this fic?
> 
> Is water wet? XD
> 
> Like all things, this will take time to formulate but the idea that I have is that Victoria, having hung out with both Taylor and Courtney, decide to get the two to meet, to see if perhaps they'd hit it off with one another. I'm looking forward to their eventual meeting.
> 
> There really wasn't a place to insert it into this chapter (it interrupted the flow of the conversation) but as Victoria was digging through Courtney's social media presence, she found evidence that the girl was gay, having posted occasional photos of girlfriends here and there. Hence, the reason she was able to ask about Courtney's attraction to Joan Jett so casually. Courtney didn't react as it's not a secret. She, in turn, discovered similar images on Victoria's social media, though there was far less of it around than her own. Still, it was enough to make her curious about the positively alluring blonde. And now that they're chatting? Who knows?
> 
> More to come eventually! If I can't come up with some fun dialogue possibilities for Thursday evening, I might skip ahead to Friday morning. We shall see.


End file.
